A/N: Alright, readers! Here's another chapter for you all, and I do apologize for the wait. Hope you all enjoy!
Also, as a heads up, there are minor spoilers from the Zootopia film for those who haven't seen it.
Midnicampum Holicithias
May, 2016…
The only sound occupying the silence of the computer room was the repetitive tapping of the keyboard, a lone vulpine figure sitting silently in front of the ICarrot computer typing up a document into the computer. His jade green eyes focus on the document he was typing, and the fox's mind was just as focused as his eyes were. Words were constantly being written within the digital document as the seconds continued to pass by quickly. Whatever it was the fox was writing, he knew what he wanted to type, and he was jotting it down inside the document like a critically acclaimed author in the Zootopia Times.
Since Matt's return from the mid-west yesterday, the fox had been inside of the computer room for most of the day typing up his memoir, pausing only during food and bathroom breaks, along with returning to his home somewhere within the northeast part of the Downtown/Savanna central district. And since his arrival to the Motorcycle Club this morning, the fox had pretty much continued to work on his personal memoir regarding his past, much of which having took place in Kawasabus and New Otsu several years ago. It was now the afternoon, and despite the short amount of time he had written the memoir, albeit roughly, he had made quite the astonishing progress.
The fox's attire was much different from what he had worn the day before. Matt was now sporting a black, slim fitting V-neck T-shirt along with a pair of dark sanded blue jeans, the pants themselves being a tight fit on the thigh area and opening into a bootcut at the bottom of his leg openings. The fox's shirt also happened to be slim enough to where some of the muscle definition on his torso could be seen. His feet-paws were covered in a pair of black leather open toe motorcycle boots, along with a pair of black samurai bracers covering his forearms along with the back of his fingerless gloved hand-paws, the gloves themselves coincidentally being the same color as the bracers. Lastly, a tan, rectangular shaped bandage of sort covered the cross-shaped wound on his left cheek.
As the fox continues to write his memoir into the document he saved on the ICarrot computer's desktop, his left hand-paw grabs the glass of water from the adjacent desk next to the computer. He pulls the cup towards his muzzle and takes a light, hearty swig of the clear beverage before gently placing the cup back where he got it. He was about to refocus his attention back towards the document until his ears flicker to the sound of someone knocking on the door. The twenty four year old vulpine turns his head to the right and looks at the mammal entering the room.
The figure who had opened the door just now was a snow white timber wolf bearing a long, very bushy, dark brown colored beard on his muzzle, with similarly colored long hair ranging from the sides and back of his head. The top of his head matched his fur to give the allusion of 'baldness' on the male, which also coincidentally matched the same thickness as his natural fur. His eyes glistened in an icy blue color. While his arms were strong in built, his stomach did not bear the same strongly defined look Matt's stomach was. No, the wolf bore a chubby built stomach. Fortunately for him, his dark gray long sleeved shirt along with a black leather vest made it less noticeable, with the long sleeves being rolled up to the upper portion of his forearms. His hand-paws were covered in a pair of black leather fingerless gloves along with a pair of steel bracers covering his forearms and back portion of his gloved hand-paws. A pair of brown cargo pants covered his legs, with the shirt being tucked into the waistline along with the leg openings being tucked into his black open toe combat boots. If the wolf were to be compared with anyone, he would best resemble a lupine version of Dwalin.
"Let me guess, Thor's calling for another meeting?", Matt asked calmly, receiving a similarly toned nod from the lupine male.
"With the way the missing mammals case is now, laddie, I wouldn't be surprised if he started getting a dozen of 'em a day", Dwayne replied with a slight chuckle, a Scottish-based accent obvious in his voice. "Might as well head to the bar downstairs and see what it's about", and after his response, the wolf turns away from the fox and heads downstairs to meet with the other members of the club.
And with the lupine out of sight, the fox turns back to the computer and saves the document before closing the document and shutting the computer down. His eyes turn to the left and reaches for his sword leaning against the table, standing up out of his chair and allowing him to place the weapon through the loop on the left side of his body. He grabs his black denim vest bearing the Defiler's patch in all on it and slips it on, walking out of the computer room and closing the door behind him. His head turns to the right and walks down the stairs he had spotted, the silence soon becoming filled with the sound of nearly rowdy chatter rather quickly. Whatever it was Thor needed to say about the case, the fox had to know.
He soon found himself on the first floor near the bar, and the place was practically packed with variously sized mammals, with the largest of predators to even some of the smallest of prey animals. All of them wore black leather or denim vests on them, which bore the patches signifying their allegiance to the Defilers Motorcycle Club. Speaking of their allegiance, the leader of the Defilers, Thor, the one whom all members sworn to sat at the middle of the bar like a throne room in a kingdom. All members of the club gazed directly at the MC chapter president.
Thor's attire was much like Matt's, with a few distinctions of course. For instance, the tall wolf was wearing a black leather jacket over his black T-shirt along with a pair of black leather fingerless gloves as well, with holes surrounding the knuckles of his hand-paws. His sanded blue jeans were torn around the knee areas in a distressed manner, some of the threads from the denim being detached and hanging from where the holes were located. But despite the way the male dressed, his eyes were stern and his brows were furrowed slightly enough to emphasize a strong sense of seriousness in them.
"My brothers! Gather around, gather around!" Thor exclaimed with a gruff, his English accented voice catching the attention of those within the bar. His arms were spread open and his fingers were bending back and forth to add emphasis on grabbing their attention. And once the chatter had come to a halt, the Defilers MC president lets out a calm sigh and places his hand-paws inside the pockets of his leather jacket. "As many of us know, Matt has returned to Zootopia after handling affairs with the Defilers in the Midwest. But that is not the reason I called upon you all to this meeting", the wolf continued, pulling his hand-paws out of his pockets and crossing his arms. "As of three minutes ago, Joey Clawhauser and I received intel from a spy of ours in the Meadowlands regarding the location of the fourteen missing mammals", the Defilers President continued, and chatter amongst the Motorcycle Club's members began to increase with the leader becoming bombarded with questions.
"Where have they been located?" one of the Defilers' Prospect members, particularly a male Thompson's Gazelle, asked quickly.
"Have you found any information on how or why the predator's are going missing?" another Defilers' Prospect member, this one an English-born snow leopard, asked just as quickly.
"Is this some sort of conspiracy?!" a third Defilers' member, a cross fox, asked almost frantically.
"Quiet! All of you!" Thor roared as the questions continue to pile up one after another, silencing the rowdy chatter that was close to getting out of hand. "I do not know why mammals started going missing, let alone predators to begin with, Ross", the wolf answered the snow leopard before shifting his attention towards the cross fox sitting on the couch near the bar. "Nor do I know if whether or not this is a conspiracy… but I will say this", the Defilers President paused for a moment and lets out a calm sigh. "Something is definitely amiss within Zootopia, and I don't know what's causing this…. But once we find out the cause of this, or possibly the mammal responsible for this, we will take action and combat the matter at hand", with those words, his attention shifts towards a muscular toned cheetah standing several feet away from Matt. "Joey, tell the others what you've told me", and with that, the eyes of the other members, Matt's included, shift their gaze directly towards the cheetah nearby.
"As Thor mentioned, we received intel from one of our spies in the Meadowlands District regarding the location where the missing mammals are being held", Joey began with a calm tone, his eyes narrowing slightly and his brows furrowing just the same. "According to our spy, he found out the missing predators have been taken to Cliffside Asylum after having hacked into the location's security feeds", he continued. "He also informed us that, as of several hours ago, another predator by the name of Renato Manchas had been taken there because of his display of savage-like behavior", that in particular caught the attention of everyone standing inside the bar, including Kyle Manchas and Matt Wilde. While both were surprised, their reasons were rather different.
"What?! My brother's been taken?! For savage-like behavior?!" Kyle exclaimed with shock, an obvious Spanish accent in his voice. "How?!"
"I'm not entirely certain as of how he became savage", Joey replied with a shrug. "But my brother, Ben, called me this morning and told me that one of their officers, the bunny cop I believe, had called for dispatch after being attacked by a savage predator in the Rainforest District", the cheetah claimed. "I know its not easy hearing this, but unfortunately, our spy had sent us the camera feeds regarding the incident proving this", the spotted feline claimed right before walking towards the wall across from him and pulls down the projector. He grabs the remote pertaining to it from the bar and, with the press of the button, the footage began to play.
What played on the projector depicted the savage jaguar, presumably Renato Manchas, moving about aggressively in feral position. The feral jaguar had attempted to strike a fox dressed in a green Hawaiian shirt and a pair of khaki pants, but was stopped when a rabbit dressed in a tight fitting rookie uniform chained Manchas to a post with a pair of handcuffs. But as the footage continued to play, Matt's eyes slightly widen with surprise upon seeing both the fox and rabbit figures, recognizing the fox as his older brother, Nick, and the rabbit as one of Jenny's friends, Judy Hopps. Yet it didn't take much longer for the camera feed to come to an unexpected pause, right when the feed depicted two timber wolves coming out of a black van with what appeared to be a net gun aiming towards the savage jaguar.
With the footage coming to a pause, the eyes of all mammals inside the bar shift their attention back towards Thor, with Joey turning the projector off and placing the remote back where he obtained it. Thus, he focuses his attention directly at the Defilers Zootopia Chapter president.
"Alright, I don't even know what to make of the video or how the hell he became savage to begin with", Thor admitted calmly. "However, I believe the best way we can find the true cause of this is if we send some of our own to the Asylum to investigate", the wolf suggested, his icy blue eyes gazing directly towards a trio of canines sitting on a couch several feet to his right. "Flynn, Kris, and JP. Find a way to get to Cliffside Asylum without any of the occupants tracking you three down. When you get there, contact me and I will let the spy know of your whereabouts and have him lead you into the facility", he paused, his attention turning towards the others with a calmly stern tone in his eyes. "Now, are there any objections?" he asked, his eyes slowly gazing at the others inside the room to see if anyone objected to his plans
"Thor, with all due respect, I think it is best I accompany them to Cliffside myself", Matt interrupted calmly, his arms crossed as the other mammals shift their attention towards the muscular fox.
"Don't get me wrong, Matt, for I do not doubt your skills as a competent swordsman, but I'm afraid I must ask for a reason why should I allow you to accompany them?" Thor asked questionably, his arms crossed and his icy blue eyes glaring at Matt's jade green pair. The vulpine uncrosses his arms and places his hand-paws inside of his denim vest pockets.
"Because I've encountered a case similar to this roughly six and a half years ago in New Otsu", Matt answered calmly. "I believe it would be a good idea to send someone with them who's had experience with savage mammals rather then letting the three handle this on their own", the fox claimed, his eyes furrowing slightly as he continued to speak. "Besides, I need to confirm my suspicions about the probable cause as it is", he added, his brows no longer furrowed after he had finished his claim. The wolf eyes him suspiciously from making such a claim, unsure of what to make of his words. However, over the few years he's known him, he had never lied to him once. Though the others might claim otherwise…
"You've got to be joking?!" one of the prospect members, a brown and white Siberian husky, growled with an obviously annoyed tone of voice. "Why the hell would you send an untrustworthy fox like him with three of the top members?!"
"Yeah! Don't send him, send someone else, for fuck's sake!" another Defilers member, this one being a ten foot tall polar bear, growled with an annoyed tone. "Send someone who's a lot more trustworthy compared to a god damn fox!" while some of the members may agree with not sending Matt, they did not condone the statements they were hearing out of the husky and polar bear's mouths. The other foxes inside of the room shift their attention directly at the two with an angered snarl, ready to defend one of their own even if they disagreed with Matt's suggestion.
"Hey! Watch your damn mouth, you asshole!" one of the vulpine Defilers members, particularly a marble fox, snarled right as he grabs the hilt of his blade.
"ENOUGH!" Thor's loudly aggressive growl was enough to silence the rowdy words escaping from the mouths of various mammals. Their heads turn towards the Motorcycle Club president and notice the cold look in his icy blue eyes. The Defilers MC president closes his eyes and began talking a few deep breaths before reopening his eyes, which they now bore a much calmer tone to them."Now's not the time to start an argument, nor do I have the tolerance for bigoted comments! We must focus on the matter at hand", the wolf continued, his voice being a much softer tone than what it was a moment ago. "Matt will accompany Kris, Flynn, and JP to the Cliffside Asylum and investigate the missing mammals", the wolf finished explaining the plan right before turning towards the muscular fox with a calmly stern look on his face. "I trust you will gather as much information about the missing mammals as possible?"
"Yes", Matt answered with a gentle, reassuring nod.
"Very well…" Thor replied with a nod before shifting his attention towards the other three canines he had mentioned. "Alright. JP, Kris, and Flynn, Matt Wilde will accompany you three during the investigation. I suggest you find every possible routes that'll help y'all get there without any trouble", the wolf advised, his attention shifting towards the remainder of the Defilers bikers in the room. "Meeting dismissed!" and with that, the entire gang began disbanding and continued on about their business.
With the meeting finished and everyone disbanding, Kris, JP, Flynn, and Matt walk towards the Defilers MC entrance and exits the building, the four mammals walking to their bikes and taking a seat on the leathery cushions. Keys were placed into the ignitions of the motorcycles, and with a simple turn of the key, the engines growl loudly and were ready for use. With a press of the gas pedal, the four mammals drive out of the parking lot and begin their journey towards one location on their minds: Cliffside Asylum. The four males soon drove in a diamond shaped formation, with Flynn being the leader of the pack. Kris and JP were driving behind the leader on the left and right sides respectively, with Matt being in the back of the formation.
"So how are we gonna get to the Asylum without the security catching us?" JP asked while keeping his attention on the road, the four mammals soon turning onto the Sahara Square Freeway and driving along the highway.
"It'd be great if we could take the 6B Maintenance Tunnel through the Rainforest-Tundratown Passageway", Kris began. "However, given that we must avoid security at all costs, we can practically scratch that idea off the list", the wolf added.
"So how are we gonna get to Cliffside if we can't use the maintenance tunnel?" JP asked with a shrug, his eyes remaining focused on the road in front of him. It wasn't much longer before they neared the entrance leading into Savanna Central, the entryway being within their sights.
"We'll get to Cliffside from the Rainforest district", Flynn answered. "We own a private garage near the dock leading there directly. That way, where we get there-"
"We can drive a speedboat directly to Cliffside without being seen by the security guards patrolling the area", Matt interrupted.
"Precisely", Flynn replied with a nod. "You're catching on the plan much quicker than I thought. Your wits are as sharp as ever, Matt", the wolf commented with a light chuckle, the group of four soon reaching the highway leading directly from Savanna Central towards the Rainforest District.
"I've happen to been there countless times for the past few years, that I have", Matt replied with a genuine grin on his muzzle. "Yes, it might take a little longer because of a slight detour, but at least we needn't worry about the security spotting us", the fox added.
"So its settled then", Flynn spoke, turning towards the rightmost lane with the other three canines following in suit to remain in the diamond shaped formation. "We will head to the Rainforest District and head to Cliffside via motor boat", the wolf continued.
"Understood", Matt, JP, and Kris replied simultaneously after finalizing heir plan. And with the plan finalized, the four mammals grow silent for the remainder of the trip, with nothing but the growling of their motorcycle engines, the howls of the wind, and the ongoing rolling of passing traffic accompanying the silence.
The remainder of the trip remained silent aside from the sound of traffic accompanying the four bikers. Various vehicles were passing by one another, and the skies gradually continue to darken. But roughly twenty minutes after having entered the Savanna Central District through the highway did they grow close to the entrance of the Rainforest district, the tunnel happening to be within their sights. And the pleasant weather of the Savanna Central district soon became muggy and humid thanks to the controlled weather within the Rainforest district.
The four mammals slightly slow down their current speed because of the wet roads they drove through, but their eyes remain focused on the road. Even if that were the case, though, Matt occasionally glanced around the district in response to the serge of memories that began flooding his mind. He remembered the battle he fought in this district, which lead to the result of numerous manslaughter of many Neo-Yaminobu Ninjas in the area. That time, he recalled, was when he had to save his brother from their grasp with the help of Nick's partner in crime, Finnick.
But the reminiscing of those memories soon came to a halt when he and the others noticed the exit leading to the northern docks, which the group of four turn right on in order to reach the area. The nature-themed architecture soon became a luscious forest as they drove on, with rain dropping down on the four lightly as their journey progressed. Their fur, hair, and clothes lightly became drenched by the water, but none of them cared at all, because they all knew they weren't too far from their destination.
Roughly twenty minutes after entering the pathway, did they see the Defilers private garage, which was a roughly seventy yards away from the docks near the river. They pull up to the private property shortly after spotting it and park their bikes into the open, one story garage. The four canines walk out of the garage and close the garage door with a press of the button, their sights now set on the dock and the boat that accompanied it.
A midnight blue colored speedboat was spotted next to the wooden, L-shaped bridge, the boat being big enough to provide enough seats cater five wolf sized mammals. And in all honestly, that was enough to tend the needs of Kris and Flynn, and more than enough to cater both Matt and JP due to their smaller sizes (Matt being a fox and JP being a folf). Now that the boat was mentioned, the four arrive to the boat and take their seats, with Kris and Flynn sitting in the front, and both JP and Matt in the back. With Flynn taking the steering wheel, the group's journey to Cliffside begins.
"So who's the contact we're supposed to meet?" JP asked right as Kris' phone began went off with a loud 'DING', the wolf grabbing his phone out of its case and taking a look at the message sent to him.
"We're meeting a timber wolf named Takeshi. He's currently disguised as one of the guards stationed at Cliffside", Kris answered, with the fox's ears perking up upon hearing the name. "He'll be meeting us at the dock near the back of the Asylum".
"Alright, that's good to know", JP spoke calmly with a gentle nod, with Matt soon turning his head to his right and gazes at the passing trees and the flow of water.
"Speaking of Cliffside, you mentioned something about needing to confirm some suspicions, did you not?" Flynn asked, the fox snapping out of his trance and turning directly towards the dirty blonde haired wolf.
"Huh? Oh, yeah! I did", Matt replied, his eyes closed and brows pointing upward, a light chuckle leaving his muzzle shortly before reopening his eyes. His smile soon vanished from his face and shifted towards a calm one. "Ever since Joey showed us the video, I started having suspicions on what may be causing the predators to go savage", that quickly got he attention of the others, though in Flynn's case, his ears flicker with interest, even if his eyes remain fixed on the watery path.
"And those suspicions are?" Kris asked, genuinely curious regarding what it was Matt was talking about. With a soft shrug, the fox closes his eyes and shakes his head a couple times.
"I can't say for certain", Matt replied, his eyes reopening and gazing at the other three canines. "Its just a weird feeling I've got since I saw the missing mammals posters shortly after returning to Zootopia", he claimed, and while he was genuinely unsure, he couldn't help but shake the fact he may have an idea on what it might be. But in order to be sure, he had to look for himself…
"Its understandable, I suppose…" and with those words leaving Flynn's mouth, the four grow silent for the remainder of the trip there.
The clouds gradually continue to darken the slowly darkening afternoon skies above, and the four mammals continue to drive the speedboat towards the direction where Cliffside Asylum lay. The only noise accompanying the males was the constant sound of the motor running and the continuous splashing of water caused by the running motor. Matt's eyes remained focused on the passing forests on shore in the distance, his head resting on his right hand-paw and not caring about the small droplets of water hitting his face. His mind was practically focused on one thing, and one thing alone:
What's causing the predators to go savage?
His train of thought was soon interrupted when he caught a stony, architectural object at the corner of his left eye, causing the fox to turn his head towards the front. And there, just less than two miles from their position was their destination: Cliffside Asylum. The asylum an appearance that was creepy, gloomy, and for the most part, desolate. From what the fox could tell, the building appeared to be as high as twenty stories, perhaps a bit more? He couldn't tell for sure. But one thing was now certain…
They had arrived.
Now that they drew closer towards the docking bay near the back of the facility, Matt's eyes began to survey the surrounding area around the recently occupied asylum. His keen eyes catch a large group of what appears to be wolves, and the faint scent he caught of them confirmed that particular suspicion. The fox turns his head towards the front and continues to watch the building increase in size as the four drew closer. The closer the mammals got to the dock did they notice a male wolf well within his early thirties standing there. And they immediately knew who he was the spy the instant they saw him, the instant they parked the boat at the dock several feet from his position.
The spy they were meeting had been standing at the dock for roughly a few minutes now. He was a slender, yet muscular built timber wolf bearing a mixture of brown, gray, and white fur, with hints of black around the back of his ears. While taller than both Matt and JP, the spy was still shorter than Kris and Flynn, being roughly about five feet six inches in height. The wolf's eyes were a mixture of different colors, the left eye being an emerald green color and the right being an icy blue. His attire mainly consisted of a black trench coat with a pair of midnight blue cargo pants, with a similarly colored shirt being spotted under his jacket. His hand-paws were covered in what appears to be a pair of black samurai bracers, along with his feet-paws being covered in a pair of black open toe combat boots. Attached to the right side of his body was a pair of swords, one of them being a thirty inch bladed o katana and the other being an eighteen inch wakizashi.
But the most distinguishing feature on the wolf's body was the diagonal slash scar running from just above the left eyebrow down to just under his right eye… a scar Matt immediately recognized.
"Well there's a face I haven't seen for over six years", Matt spoke with a chuckle right before standing up and jumping out of the boat. "And how's life treating you since the end of the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate, Takeshi Sagamori?" the fox asked, the spy instantly turning towards the fox upon hearing the name, apparently his, being spoken. Yet the instant his eyes were laid upon the fox's, they widen with genuine surprise.
"Matt?" the spy, presumably Takeshi Sagamori, asked upon seeing the vulpine's face, the fox nodding to confirm his identity to the wolf.
"Heh, the one and only", Matt replied with a light chuckle. Kris, Flynn, and JP were looking at each other briefly "I have to admit I didn't expect you to be the spy Thor told us about".
"And I didn't expect a fellow Ishin-Mirkwood Neo-Imperialist like yourself to be one of the Defilers as well", Takeshi replied with a light chuckle, but soon frowns slightly with a serious tone. "But now's not the time to reminisce about the past. We have work that needs to be done", the spy spoke seriously, his attention now turning towards the other three canines standing before him. "The savage predators are being kept on the third floor. I've taken the courtesy to hack into the cameras at the back of the facility and froze the footage, so it's highly unlikely the others would suspect a thing", he explained. "However, be wary of the Dr. Badger and Mayor Lionheart. They're currently trying to investigate the matter on the fourth floor research labs as we speak".
"Wait, how the hell's Lionheart involved in all this?" Flynn asked suddenly, completely baffled on why the Mayor of Zootopia was here in the first place.
"He was the one who secretly initiated the order to capture and detain all the savage predators in the city and incarcerate them here", Takeshi answered. "He assigned Dr. Badger to-" he began to explain about Dr. Badger's involvement in the case, but was interrupted at the sound of a feminine voice beginning to howl unexpectedly, causing Takeshi and the others to turn towards the direction where the check point was located. It wasn't long before one of the wolves around the area began to howl unexpectedly, much to the distaste of Kris, Flynn, and Takeshi.
"Oh Jesus Christ…" Flynn groaned with a face palm, shaking his head back and forth a couple times in an annoyed fashion.
"Thank god we overcame the instinct a few years ago…" Kris replied, albeit with a frustrated sigh.
"I don't know who's causing Gary to start howling, but it looks like you four aren't the only ones-" Takeshi began, only to be interrupted by the sound of the same, yet familiar feminine voice howling for the second time. The masculine voice, presumably belonging to Gary according to Takeshi, followed suit in the howl. Then another masculine voice began howling, and another, and almost immediately, all of the wolves stationed at the front of the Asylum started howl unexpectedly. "Shit!" he swore under his breath from the unexpected howl that started. The spy turns towards the others with a stern look on his face. "Hurry, you most get inside the Asylum and investigate what's causing all of this. I wish I could accompany you guys inside, but unfortunately I cannot, for I have other business I must attend to", the wolf finished with a shrug right as Kris and JP start rushing towards the back entrance of Cliffside.
"Thanks…" Flynn asked, with the spy giving a nod before the Defilers member sprints after the others. Matt was about to do the same, but the wolf's left hand-paw grabbing his shoulder stopped him from progressing.
"You're thinking this might be similar to what happened several years ago, isn't it?" Takeshi asked, the fox closing his eyes halfway and looking away from it.
"I have my suspicions", Matt answered, right before looking back up to the wolf and giving him a soft, barely noticeable smile. "Just need to confirm if whether or not they're true", he finished. With his answer, the wolf nods before quickly turning around and sprinting towards the direction of the howling wolves. Matt quickly turns around and follows Flynn towards the back of the facility, soon meeting up with the others. And with the group of four standing before the back entrance, the mammals march into the building and began their own investigation on the savage predator matter.
Now that the four mammals have entered the back of the facility, Matt grabs his ICarrot SE from its phone case and pulls up the app for the flash light. And with the press of the app, the light began beaming from the hole right next to the camera lens on his phone. Much of the interior was cracked along with some of the wallpaper having been chipped off. Hell, for the most part, the entire facility looked abandoned with the exception for a couple of dimly lit lights lighting the dark halls and the elevators working at full function. Speaking of which, the four mammals discover the elevator twenty meters in front of them and began sprinting towards it, with Flynn pressing the triangular up button and enabling the doors to open. The four quickly enter the elevator and press press the close button, with Matt hitting the third floor button.
It didn't take them long to get to the third floor, the floor in which Takeshi claimed the savage predators were being held. And as they arrived to the third floor, they notice this particular level was much more well lit than the first, the slights shining a bright yellow color in the white painted and green tiled walls. Roughly fifty yards in front of them, the hallway turned left, with a sign saying "Containment Facility" with an arrow pointing towards the left. With this knowledge, the four canine mammals stealthily rush through the designated path and turn accordingly. And the instant they turned, they were greeted with a metallic door on the left of the hall, with an electronic numeric/key card pad being attached to the door just above the long, rectangular knob. Flynn was about to reach for the knob when he noticed the numerical pad attached to the door.
"Shit…" Flynn swore under his breath before turning towards the folf behind him. "JP, tell me you've brought your gear with you…" he spoke with a soft growl in his tone. But much to his luck, the folf had reached into his inner left pocket and pulls out what appears to be a cord resembling a phone charger, yet the opposite end bore what appeared to be a thin, metallic piece that looked identical to a key card.
"Don't worry, Flynn. For all electronics and gadgets, I have all you need right here", with those words leaving JP's mouth, not only did the folf get to work, but Flynn also let a soft sigh of relief escape his muzzle.
"Thank god!" Flynn exclaimed with a relieved sigh, placing his hand-paws inside the pockets of his denim vest. And much to their luck, a loud 'BUZZ' noise goes off the instant the door had been unlocked. JP removes the metallic card out of the slot and turns the doorknob ninety degrees down, pushing the door forward and allowing the four to enter the containment facility with haste.
Kris, JP, and Flynn turn on their flashlights via using the app on their phones to provide light for them, brightening the dimly lit, light purple colored hall slightly. Matt himself began to examine the glass cells thoroughly and aims his phone towards the cells and began to examine them thoroughly. All the victims were savage predators, which was completely obvious, of course. He aims the flashlight at the moving bodies of the various mammals to see what he could find. At first, he couldn't really tell because they were moving around. However, when he reached the cell containing an otter, the savage mammal's back turned towards the fox, Matt manages to notice something on the back right side of his neck.
While the phone was only able to provide enough light to see much of the dark furred otter's body, it was bright enough to capture some sort of blue speck on the mammal's neck. Matt squints slightly at the sight to focus on the blue substance. The longer he looked at it, the more he felt the odd feeling of recognition welled within his mind. Before he could think of what it was, the otter suddenly turns to face the fox, his nearly black eyes glaring directly at Matt's jade green colored set. And the instant the fox saw the otter's face, his eyes widen and his brows arch upward.
"Emmitt Otterton?" Matt asked softly, completely unaware one of the wolves were approaching his direction.
"Do you know him?" Kris asked, catching the fox by surprise to the point he jumps slightly and snaps towards his direction.
"Yeah…" Matt began, his head shifting back to the otter inside of the cell. "His name's Emmitt Otterton. He was another Neo-Imperialist from the Ishin-Mirkwood Clan like myself during the days of the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate", the fox explained, placing his left hand-paw onto the glass. But the instant he did that did the otter quickly dart to the window and began pounding onto the window, much to the his and Kris' surprise. "Alright, I think we've seen enough", he continued, turning to face the others right after he finished speaking. "Lets get going".
"Right", as soon as that word simultaneously left the mouths of Kris, JP, and Flynn, the four mammals start jogging out of the hall and out of the room, with Matt grabbing a hold of the door and closing it. Completely unaware to him, he narrowly missed a pair of jade green and amethyst eyes spotting the door being closed by him.
With the door now closed, the group starts jogging through the hall where they came and turns right at the end of the hallway, turning directly towards the direction where the elevator doors were. JP rushes over to the elevator and was about to press the button. However, he and the others stopped the instant they heard a loud 'DING' go off at the other end of the hall. The four canines turn back and walk towards the edge of the hallway, leaning forward to take a look at where the sound came from. And apparently, two predatory mammals apparently exited another elevator on the other end of the hall.
The first mammal was a male lion identified as Mayor Lionheart. The lion was currently dressed in a blue suit, with a pale shirt and red tie being seen underneath the suit itself. His large man almost matched the color of his brown eyes, eyes that were now filled with a calm sense of anger none of the four Defilers could necessarily explain. The other predator with him was a female honey badger identified as Dr. Badger. She was currently sporting a pair of light green scrubs along with a white lab coat being worn over her scrubs. Her fur mainly consisted of various shades of gray, mostly dark gray and a fifty percent cool gray. Her hair and much of the badger's back was either a silky white color or perhaps a light gray at the very darkest. Honestly, they couldn't tell because of the lighting. And as they continue to watch, the canines notice the two predators entering the containment facility with a press of a few buttons following a loud 'BUZZ' noise going off.
"Enough!" Lionheart shouted with a growl in his voice all while he and the badger were entering the containment facility, completely oblivious to the fact the four canines had began recording the audio through their ICarrot Phones before he even spoke. "I don't want excuses, Doctor! I want answers!"
"Mayor Lionheart, please. We're doing everything we can!" Dr. Badger replied with a hint of urgency in her tone.
"Really? Because I've got a dozen and a half animals that have gone off the rails crazy, and you can't tell me why?" Lionheart asked with a mixture of calm anger and disbelief. "Now I call that awfully far from doing everything!"
"Mayor, it may be time to consider their biology", that particular comment from the Badger caused Kris, JP, and Flynn to look at each other, bewildered at what the doctor had said. Matt, on the other hand, merely narrows his eyes at the direction where the voices were heard. He knew better than to assume biology was the cause of this, especially after seeing the dried, faint blue substance on Emmitt Otterton's fur.
"What? What do you mean biology?!" Lionheart bewilderingly asked, not expecting that particular claim to come out of the badger's mouth.
"The only animals going savage are predators" Dr. Badger claimed. "We cannot keep it a secret! We need to come forward!"
As the argument between the two predators continued, the four canines used this opportunity to return to the elevator they had used to get to the third floor. JP quickly presses the triangular down button and alas, the elevator doors open for them and enables the four to quickly step inside. With a press of two more buttons, the doors close and the elevator descends to the first floor quickly, much to their relief. But the relief was short lived the instant the elevator doors opened on the first floor, starting with the red flashing lights and the blaring of the loud alarm. Something must've happened! And whatever it was, it didn't sound good.
"Shit! Someone must've set off the alarms!" Flynn growled while simultaneously banging his right clenched fist against the corresponding side of the elevator.
"No time to worry about that! We gotta skedaddle", JP replied quickly right as he and the others quickly dart towards the back entrance of the not-so-abandoned asylum. They exit the building and rush towards the docks, the howling of the wolves having been silenced ever since the alarm began blaring out of nowhere. With their boat in sight, the four quickly jump into the ship and buckle themselves in, with Flynn placing the key into the ignition and turning the ignition forward ninety degrees. Now it was time to get the hell out of there!
With the ignition started, Flynn places his right hand-paw behind Kris' seat and looks behind the boat, pulling back and turning a hundred eighty degrees to the right once he was out of the dock's way. The wolf quickly pushes the clutch towards 'Drive' and immediate speeds off back to the garage where they departed from earlier. They had seen all they could, but one of them had seen more than enough to give a conclusion. But for now, it was time to focus on getting the hell out of there and avoid being seen by any possible security guards or helicopter pilots within the area.
Fortunately for them, the Defilers continue their boat ride back in relative silence, with the exception of the constant splattering of water being caused by the running boat motor. Matt's ears were perked up and alert as the boat ride continued onward, his eyes staring directly down towards the front of his own feet-paws in thought. The others kept their eye on the watery path in front of them along with their surroundings, also remaining alert and ensuring none of them were being followed. The The sound of the chopper could be heard within the distance, but based on the gradually silencing sound of the helicopter rotors, it wasn't heading towards them, much to their luck.
It didn't take much longer for them to arrive to the docks near their garage, the blonde haired and bearded wolf parking the boat on the left side of the dock and killing the ignition with a turn of the key. Matt was the first to climb off of the boat, following JP, Kris, and alas, Flynn. The four males began walking towards the docks in silence… but the silence wouldn't last long.
"Biology…" JP began, swinging his arms upward in frustration before letting them slump back to his sides. "Who the hell would even dare to suggest that! Is she trying to make us predators look bad?!" he growled with frustration, shaking his head before marching directly at the one story garage.
"JP, take it easy!" Flynn exclaimed right before quickly following the folf with the intention to try and calm his fellow Defilers member down. "I'm not happy with what the doctor said, but how are we to prove against that claim without any evidence on the night howlers?" he retorted, both he and JP entering the garage by using the side entrance, only for the folf to quickly turn around and face the blonde haired and bearded wolf.
"I don't know, okay!" JP snapped in frustration while taking a seat on top of the table inside and placing his right hand-paw onto his temples, his eyes closing as the male began rubbing his forehead. "Hell, the damn Night Howlers could've been those wolves howling at the scene", he growled with a similar tone, although not as loud as moments before.
"Wolves?" Kris stepped himself into the conversation right after hearing those words. "How the hell are night howlers related to the wolves at Cliffside?" he asked, almost offended by the comment.
"Night howlers aren't wolves", Matt calmly included himself into the conversation, the other canine males turning to face the fox's calm expression, noticing his eyes furrowed slightly and closed.
"Aren't wolves?" JP asked, now genuinely curious behind his claim. "Then what are they then?" as soon as he asked, Matt walks towards a dark maroon colored couch and climbs onto it, taking a seat on the left cushion before letting a calm sigh leave his mouth.
"Midnicampum Holicithias", Matt answered, his eyes reopening and turning his head directly towards the others.
"Mid-what?" Flynn asked with a cocked brow.
"Toxic flowers", Matt answered. "Or 'Night Howlers' as some of the farmers in the Tri-Burrows area call them. Their psychological effects are so great, that consuming one flower is enough to cause a mammal to go savage for nearly a day", that particular comment got Kris, Flynn, and JP to look at one another before directing their attention back at the fox. "I figured it out after spotting the faint blue spec on Emmitt's neck earlier. Someone must've been creating highly concentrated night howler pellets out of of them and darting predators as an attempt to force them out of the city", the fox explained, with Flynn leaning forward and glaring at the vulpine with slightly furrowed, curious brows.
"How do you know all this?" Flynn asked, cocking his left brow upward out of suspicion. "And if what you're saying is true, who's the one darting the predators?" he asked again, only to hear Matt shrug and notice the fox closing his eyes at that particular question.
"I'm not certain on the mammal responsible for darting the predators, but as I said earlier back at the club, I've encountered an incident much like this in New Otsu roughly six and a half years ago", Matt replied, his eyes reopening and looking at the wolf with a gentle expression on his face. "But that is a story to be told for another time, I'm afraid", the fox added, jumping off the large wolf sized couch and turning towards the others. "I must return to Tokyo Town in the Northeastern part of the Savanna Central/Downtown District. I have to check in with my family back at the house", he claimed right before walking towards his Hexer Motorcycle and climbing onto his seat. Flynn, Kris, and JP were now curious on how he knew all of this, especially with whatever happened at New Otsu nearly six and a half years ago. But neither one of them pressed on the matter further, albeit reluctantly.
"Alright, meet us at the club in the morning, then?" Flynn asked, the fox giving the blonde haired and bearded wolf a nod in return.
"Yeah", Matt replied calmly a second before placing the key into the ignition to his bike and turning the ignition forward ninety degrees. The engine growled loudly upon the ignition being turned on, the fox twisting the left handle a couple times to intensify the growl. "See ya later!" and with those departing words, the fox twists the right handle forward a bit and began accelerating out of the garage, turning the bike to the left and beginning his journey back home to Tokyo Town.
Now that the fox had left the garage, his eyes remain fixed on the road ahead of him, the rain having died down sometime during their investigation. His mind, on the other hand, was not focused on the wet roads ahead of him, but the discovery he had made at the asylum earlier. He had seen it before several years ago, without a doubt, but there was one thought lingering inside the back of his mind.
"Who's responsible for darting the predators? What are they trying to gain from this?" Matt thought to himself as the fox continued to drive along the road, drawing closer to the highway with every passing second. "Whoever's responsible for this, I must be wary of their presence. Not only for myself, but for the sake of my family as well…" and with that thought finished, the fox focuses his mind and sight on returning to his home in Tokyo Town, a Japanese-based town located within the Northeast part of the Savanna Central/Downtown District. But he wasn't off guard, however, for his ears remain perked and listen to every sound within the range he could muster. Whoever was responsible for this, he will find out. But until then, the best thing he could do was continue to remain in the shadows, and ride on as if he were a common motorcycle enthusiast driving in Zootopia.