A/N: Hey guys! I am so sorry for the wait on the next installment. I'm admittedly having a slight bit of a writer's block along with having to think about how to have this particular chapter play out. I also have a Zootopia based side project in the making as well, which I will post in due time hopefully.
Anyways! I hope you enjoy, and I'll do my best to have the next installment out sooner!
Edit 11/11/2016: Recently, changes were made in this fanfic to correlate the changes with Karen's relationship with the Wilde Family.
A Hidden Truth Revealed
The battles within the New Otsu woods were hard fought. Blood had been spilled, wounds had been received, and with the exception of one, all of the Neo-Yaminobu assassins have been slain. They were tough to say the least, but at long last, Matt Wilde had arrived to the place where Jenny and Tomoe are located, the same location where the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu clan leader lies.
Bellwether Enterprises.
And now that he had arrived, the wounded fox slowly approaches the front lot where the main entrance was located, using his sword as a cane to help support his weary self. The blood flowing from his wounds seemed to have slowed enough to where it is no longer a threat to his body, but that didn't mean he wasn't nearing the point he was in a life threatening condition. Nor did his injuries stop him from continuing to progress to the entrance.
But he wasn't the only one, however…
Ever since the fight between Matt, Sumita, and Yatsume, Judy Hopps had followed him to Bellwether enterprises in hopes he could perhaps lead her to her missing father. But as soon as they neared the parking lot, she gasped at the sight of one particular vehicle parked nearly thirty meters away from the entrance of the facility.
The Hopps Family Farm truck.
"My Dad's truck! He has to be here, I just know it!" Judy exclaimed suddenly following a sigh of relief, the rabbit soon beginning to sprint towards the entrance. "C'mon, Matt, we gotta-" she began, but was interrupted when the wounded fox suddenly grabs a hold of her left arm with his corresponding hand-paw. That particular movement stopped the bunny on her tracks and immediately causes the rabbit to turn directly towards the fox. "Matt, what the hell are you-"
"Stay here", Matt quickly interrupted with a serious tone in his voice, despite his current condition. Even with one eye opened, he glares at the bunny with a narrow, very serious look on his face. "The Neo-Yaminobu leader's most likely waiting for me inside. I can't let you risk yourself getting killed", the fox claimed honestly, although he was uncertain if whether or not the leader was actually waiting for him in the building. "If something happened to you-"
"What, are you crazy?! I can't stay here out in the cold!" Judy exclaimed while throwing her arms to her sides. "And your fuck's sake, you're a bloody mess right now! There's no way in hell I'm gonna-"
"I've dealt with these life or death situations a lot more than you realize", Matt countered with a scoff. "You're practically standing right in front of the same fox who's slain over four hundred mammals within a course of over three years. So regardless of my current condition, I'll make sure those Neo-Shogunate bastard die by my own-"
"Matt, would you listen to me for a second!" Judy suddenly yelled, completely cutting the fox off and even catching him slightly by surprise, even if his facial expression didn't show it. "Look, I get you're an extremely skilled assassin, but even the most skilled killers become worn out after losing a lot of blood!" the rabbit cried. "You've lost a lot of blood, for Christ's sake! You need medical attention for crying out-"
"Judy, I've told you I've dealt with these life or death situations before, so stop worrying about me!" Matt snapped with an unintentional growl, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening only slightly. His nearly blinded open eye glared directly at the rabbit with a hard enough tone to drain every ounce of authority the bunny had in her. "Stay in the truck and do whatever you can to stay warm, and stay out of sight".
"Stay out of sight?!" Judy scoffed, suddenly starting to become frustrated with the injured tod. "Matt, what the hell are you-"
"The last thing I want to happen to you is for Yatsume to track you down and kill you on sight. I'm grateful for the fact you care and all, but I need you to stop being so god damn stubborn and listen to me for once", Matt quickly interrupted with a serious voice. "Do you have the keys to your father's truck?" that question caught the frustrated rabbit off guard right before she could retort, gazing at the vulpine with a pair of eyes filled with unexpected surprise.
"Matt-"
"Do you have the keys or not?!" Matt quickly asked, his patience with the bunny becoming thinner with every response she made.
"Yeah, I have a spare, but-"
"Then stop giving me some bull shit and stay here. Stay inside the truck and stay out of sight", Matt ordered authoritatively, not in the mood to argue with the bunny any longer. "I'm gonna get Tomoe and Jenny out of this mess, kill the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu, and then we'll get the hell out of here. Now stay put!" and with that command, the fox turns back towards the front and began walking towards the entrance of the facility, albeit while using his sword to support himself. But even after taking a few more steps, a single hand-paw grabs a hold of his right shoulder.
That immediately set him off, and copious amounts of adrenaline began spurring within his injured body. With a loud growl being emitted from his muzzle, the fox quickly spins around and grabs the rabbit by her jacket and quickly pins her to the driver's side door, a loud yelp of pain leaving Judy's mouth the instant her back was forcefully pinned against the truck.
"A-hey! Let me-"
"For fucks sake, Jude! Why do you have to be so god damn persistent on tagging along?! Why can't you do what you're told for once?!" Matt yelled with a predatory growl, snarling directly at the bunny with flashing white canines exposed and his good eye having turned from jade green to a burning yellow color. Judy's eyes widen at the sight and soon began squirming in the fox's grasp, attempting to break free from his hold but to no avail.
"Matt, you don't understand!" Judy exclaimed while continuing to try and break free from Matt's grip, but his grip was iron, and she wasn't going anywhere so long he held her.
"Don't understand what?!" Matt growled, but the bunny ignored him and continued her feeble attempts in trying to break free from his grasp.
"Let me go!" Judy yelled.
"Why are you so insistent on tagging along?!" Matt immediately asked, narrowing his good eye with a fierce glare.
"Matt, let me GO!" Judy yelled with a mixture of both anger and desperation.
"Why?!"
"THEY KIDNAPPED MY DAD!" the instant Judy shouted those words with a scream, Matt's good, narrowed eye immediately widens with shock, the fierce yellow color immediately changing back to its usual jade green color. Matt lost his snarl right as tears began streaming down the rabbit's eyes with heaving sobs. "We were attacked last night shortly after we settled at a motel halfway between Kawasabus and New Otsu. My father tried to hold them off while I was escaping and seeking help, but their leader struck him down and stole my truck shortly after we were ambushed", the rabbit explained as best she could despite sobbing with tears continuously streaming down her face. "Their leader mentioned taking my Dad to Bellwether Enterprises shortly after they knocked my father unconscious…" right after she explained, the fox gazed at the bunny with his good eye wide open and slowly lowered the rabbit onto her feet, his grip no longer iron and released its hold from her jacket.
"What was the leader's name?" Matt asked with a much calmer voice, although with a serious tone in it.
"Tatsumi, I think. I heard that Yatsume guy mention his name right after he rendered my father unconscious", Judy explained following a heavy sob leaving her mouth. "That's why I came here. I wanted to try and save my father before he got killed!" now the bunny was starting to sob heavily with her eyes clenched shut, tears continuing to flow from her eyes down her cheeks, her right hand-paw covering her eyes right as she continued crying. "I don't wanna lose my father! I don't wanna lose him!" and by this point, she was sobbing to the point she couldn't speak coherently.
At that point, Matt was looking at the bunny with his good eye wide open, his arms slumped to his sides. He closes his good eye and clenches tightly on the hilt of his sword to the point his muscles had flexed noticeably. He hadn't realized why Judy had become so insistent on following him inside until now, when she was only trying to save a family member she cherished so fondly. But even if he understood her intentions, he had no intention on having Judy get killed as a result of her trying to save her old man.
And in that instant, he knew what he had to do.
"I'll save your father, Judy", as soon as Matt had said those words with a determined voice did the bunny suddenly look right at the fox's face with her amethyst eyes, which were now open wide.
"W-What?!" Judy began with a surprised tone, right before she clutches onto the fox's left arm tightly.
"I'm going to save your father, no matter what", Matt answered right as he turns away from the bunny and began walking towards the entrance. A pair of hand-paws clutching his left arm, however, stop him dead on his tracks.
"Matt, you can't! You're wounded, for fuck's sake!" Judy exclaimed.
"It doesn't matter, Jude", Matt replied as he shook his head a couple of times. "Regardless of my condition, I will do whatever I can to-"
"Yes it does!" Judy interrupted. "You can't fight Tatsumi in your current condition! You need medical attention right-"
"I DON'T CARE!" Matt yelled right before pulling his arm out of her grip and glaring directly at the bunny with his open right eye. "I can't let other people die because of the consequences of my actions! The last thing I need is for one of my friends to lose another mammal she cherishes by the hands of the Neo-Shogunate!" that particular statement immediately caused Judy to lose whatever urgent authority she had within her, now starting to gaze at Matt in both surprise and awe.
"Matt…" Judy uttered softly, watching the fox close his right eye and take a few, much needed deep breaths. And with a calm sigh leaving his mouth, he reopens his right eye and gazes at her softly.
"Look, I understand you're trying to get your father back. I really do", Matt began with a much softer, understanding tone. "However, I'm fairly certain your father wouldn't want you to risk your life for him. He would want you to find a safe place to hide even at the cost of his own life", the fox continued, the female rabbit gazing up at him with watery eyes before lowering her head.
"Matt…" Judy softly spoke under her breath, but the fox cups her chin with his left hand-paw and tilts her head up towards him.
"Do you trust me?" Matt asked softly, but with a serious look on his face.
"W-what?" Judy asked with a similar tone, although flabbergasted. "What are you-"
"Listen to me" Matt repeated. "I'm going to save your father, and I'm gonna make sure he makes a safe return to you. But I can't ensure his safety if I don't have your complete trust", the fox continued. "So I'm asking you to put all of your trust in me…. Please", the fox finished calmly, yet the bunny could've sworn she heard a slight hint of pleading in his voice. She honestly didn't know what to do, but before she could respond, the rabbit closes her eyes and nods gently.
"Okay…" Judy nodded as she replied to the fox. "I trust you, Matt…" and as she said those words, the fox gave a soft sigh of relief.
"Thank you", Matt replied before tightening his grip around the hilt of his sword and began turning away from the bunny. But a pair of hand-paws grabbing his left forearm stopped him from continuing. His head turns towards the rabbit and notices the pleasing look in her glossy eyes.
"Please bring my Dad back safely… I can't lose him", Judy pleaded with a few tears steaming down her cheeks, her lips quivering and quickly shutting her eyes. Matt turns around and gently pulls the rabbit into a soft, but comforting hug in an attempt to provide comfort for the bunny.
"Don't worry, Jude. I'll make sure your father makes a safe return. But for now, I need you to stay in the truck and stay out of sight", Matt reassured before pulling his left arm back and grabbing a hold of the wakizashi by the top of its sheath, pulling it from the belt before moving it towards the bunny. "I doubt you'll need this, but I will lend you my wakizashi, just in case Yatsume comes back and tries to kill you", the fox claimed calmly, yet with a serious tone in his voice. Judy gazes hesitantly at the weapon Matt was lending to her, but with a gently nod, the rabbit dries the tears off her face with her left forearm before grabbing the wakizashi with her right hand-paw.
"Alright", Judy replied with a nod before the fox responded back with a nod and turns away from rabbit, starting to walk towards the facility's entrance and using his katana as a cane to support himself. "Oh, and Matt", upon hearing the rabbit call his name, the fox stops on his tracks and turns his attention towards the bunny. "Be careful", and with that, the bunny and fox turn away from one another and began walking to their respective destinations, with the rabbit walking to the truck and the tod walking towards the entrance to Bellwether Enterprises.
As soon as the fox stepped onto the black carpet in front of the automatic glass doors, the doors themselves slide apart from one another and allow the fox to enter the facility freely. His right eye was briefly greeted with a bright light only for the briefest of moments, yet his partially blinded vision soon readjusts to the lighting in the facility. And from what he could decipher, the facility practically looks as if it were recently made because of the cleanliness of the place. But the fox knew better than to assume it was brand new. Renovated, perhaps, but definitely not brand new.
But regardless of the current state of the place, whether recently renovated or withered away like an abandoned factory, now was not the time to determine the condition of the facility. The fox began to walk towards the receptionist desk roughly forty meters away from the entrance, hoping to find the answers needed regarding the location of both Judy's father along with the whereabouts of Jenny and Tomoe. Unfortunately, however, when he got to the back of the receptionist desk, he couldn't reach the desk because of it being suited for larger predators or prey like tigers, rhinos, or various others.
Yet just as soon as he did, his open right eye notices a chair that was luckily well within his reach. His The vulpine sheaths his sword and jumps on top of the rather large roller chair meant for larger predators and prey, albeit with some difficulty because of his injuries. But once he stepped foot onto the cushion, the fox grabs the desk and carefully rolls the chair towards the desk. This allowed him to be within reach of the computer itself. However, he had came across a problem.
The computer was much too large for him to use, even the keyboard was much too large for him to use.
Luckily for him, however, the computer itself was up and running, and a map of the first floor was being displayed on the huge, rhino sized computer monitor. But the map itself wasn't the only reason why the fox was lucky. It was also because one of the rooms on the first floor happened to be a surveillance room, a room he could possibly find a computer that was relatively around his size. His right eye gazes at the map for a couple of minutes and seizes the opportunity to memorize the location of the security room along with the hallway in which it was located.
With this new information in mind, the fox pushes the roller chair back a bit and pulls his katana out of its sheath, jumping down onto the tile floor and using his blade to support himself. The fox walks away from the desk and turns to the left, which lead to the hallway leading directly towards the first floor surveillance room. His grip tightens around the hilt of his sword and he continued to use it to support himself and prevent him from collapsing onto the floor. But even with the weary state he was in, he had no intention of resting until he saved Jenny, Tomoe, and Stu.
It didn't take him long to arrive to the door where the surveillance room was located. Although it was a large door, the fox was fortunate the doorknob was barely within his reach. He raises his left hand-paw and clutches the circular knob securely before turning the doorknob to the left, pushing the door forward and entering the surprisingly dark room. But there was one thing odd about the surveillance room.
Every single computer, both big and small, were up and running, just like the computer at the receptionist's desk. As odd as this was, at least he didn't have to wait on booting he surveillance computers in order to search for his loved ones and Judy's father.
Talk about convenient, huh?
But with this discovery, the fox starts walking slowly into the room and started glancing around the wide screen monitors, a few of them displaying various parts of the facility, from the basement levels up to the fifth floor. Yet most of them, however, were either not working properly, or the computers themselves were corrupted. By far, nothing had caught his attention…
That is, until he spotted a file containing a recording dated on September 29th, 2009, the day John Bellwether had been murdered.
At the sight of the odd recording, the fox approached the medium sized monitor and sheaths his sword, grabbing a hold of the mouse and double clicks on the file containing the dated recording. He wasn't sure why, but he was compelled to see what the recording depicted. He had to know…
With the click of the mouse, the footage contained within the folder began to play on the monitor. The fox gazes intently at the footage and began to decipher the environment within. But from what he could see, he notices a female sheep dressed in a black businesswoman's suit sitting inside some sort of office. She appeared to be writing something in a journal she had on the desk, yet soon stopped abruptly the instant she perked her head upwards, the same instant her office door was. But when a familiar figure came into view, Matt's right eye widens with unexpected surprise.
"Iizuka… what was he doing there?" Matt asked within his mind and continued to watch the tanuki approach the desk where the female sheep sat. The fox's eyes gaze to the right corner of the monitor and examine the time in which it was recorded. The time this meeting had occurred at approximately One in the morning. "And roughly five hours after John Bellwether's assassination?" questions much like this one continue to form within the fox's mind, right as he shifts his partially blinded gaze towards the recording, hearing the tanuki clearing his voice shortly before the ewe began to speak.
"Oh, Iizuka! How may I help you?" The sheep asked with a curious expression on her face, not expecting the tanuki to come into her office at this hour.
"I'm afraid I've come bearing bad news, Dawn Bellwether", Iizuka said in the recording shortly before a sight leaves his muzzle. "As of five hours ago, John Bellwether was slain by Hitokiri Battousai in an alleyway in Kawasabus", after the tanuki had told her what had happened to John, a loud gasp leaves her mouth and covers it with her hoofs.
"W-What?", Dawn replied with pure, grief-driven shock in her voice, slowly shaking her head in pure disbelief in regards to what she had heard just now. "That's impossible! There's no way he could've", the ewe stuttered with a mixture of emotions. Grief, shock, anger, and fore-coming depression. "Oh please, dear god no!" the sheep shook her head rapidly as she said those words, right as she steps out of her chair and rushes towards the tanuki. Her hoofs grab his shirt and pull him close to him. "This can't be true! There's just no way!"
"I'm sorry, Dawn… but unfortunately, its the truth", Iizuka responded right before he places his hand-paws onto her shoulders. "John fought valiantly for you, Dawn", the male soothed gently before pulling the distressed ewe into his arms and began providing comfort for her. "Richard and Salazar did everything they could to defend him, even in death", the tanuki continued with the same tone in his voice, resting his head on top of hers for a moment and continued to comfort the woman as best he could.
Dawn buries her face in the predator's chest and started sobbing shortly after she did, with tears streaming down her face and onto the other mammal's chest. Her shoulders were shuddering in correlation with her sobs, and her arms were trembling with sadness. She literally could not believe it. Her brother slain by Battousai the Animal Slayer? How could this have happened? Those questions constantly coursed her mind as she wept in the arms of Iizuka.
A couple minutes later, she pulls away from the predator's arms and looks up towards him, with the white of her green eyes now turned a pinkish-red thanks to having been crying for two straight minutes. Her eyes soon narrow and her brows furrowed in anger.
"The Battousai will pay for what he did to my brother!" Dawn suddenly growled angrily while clenching her hoofs into fists. She closes her eyes and began breathing through her nose a few times before looking back up towards Iizuka's face with her eyes filled with angry determination. "Iizuka, what clan was the Battousai in?"
"The Ishin-Mirkwood clan, Dawn", Iizuka answered, right before he began to form a grin on his face.
"The same clan you've joined under our orders?" Dawn asked, receiving a nod of confirmation from the tanuki shortly after she asked. Now that she knew this, she tilts her head down and tightens her fists, much to the point where blood began to drip from her hoofs. "Gah! I can't believe this happened!" the ewe suddenly shouted right before she turns away from the predator and slams her fists against her desk. "Dammit!"
"Dawn, take it easy!" Iizuka suddenly said with his hand-paws raised, only to receive a rather deadly glare from the sheep herself.
"Take it easy? Take it EASY?!" Dawn suddenly shouted. "How the fuck can I take it easy if the Battousai is still out there slaying mammals involved in the Neo-Shogunate party! How the fuck can I take it easy after he killed my brother!" the ewe continued to shot following a short pause for a sob to escape her mouth. "How the fuck can I-"
"ENOUGH!" Iizuka shouted from the top of his lungs, his gangs bared and his arms thrown up into the air. "We'll deal with the Battousai as soon as an opening can be found. But we can't do that if you're shouting out random bullshit!" the tanuki claimed with a growl, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths in order for him to calm down and continue with a clearer mind. "Look, I understand your brother was slain several hours ago. But right now, we need to focus on properly planning the Battousai's assassination", the predator continued with a much calmer voice, diluting the anger that resided in the eyes of the sheep in front of him. And although she was still pissed, she closes her eyes and nods with understanding.
"Alright… alright", Dawn replied, shortly before she reopened her eyes and glared at him with a serious expression on her face. "What do you suggest we do?"
"You're not gonna like this one bit. But…" Iizuka began, right before he closes his eyes and inhales some oxygen into his lungs, only to exhale a short moment afterwards. "We have no choice but to call upon the Neo-Yaminobu", right as that came out of his mouth, the ewe cursed under her breath before shaking her head a couple times.
"Damn… why did I have a strange feeling you'd suggest such a thing", Dawn asked in disbelief.
"Look, I'm not particularly fond of most of them, but luckily I happen to know a few who are much more reliable than the others", Iizuka claimed, right before a smirk began to form on his muzzle. "You focus on recovering from your loss. Leave everything to me".
"I understand", Dawn replied with a nod right as she uses her left arm to dry the tears off of her face. Then she looks back at him and glared at him with a subtle hint of a smirk on her face. "You've done a great service for us so far. Once the Neo-Shogunate takes control of the entire country, I'll be sure to grant you a key position as a part of the new government", the sheep added with a grin forming on her face. "You go on ahead and make your leave. The last thing I need is the Ishin-Mirkwood clan to suspect you for being our spy".
"Thank you", Iizuka responded with a respectful bow, right before he turns a hundred eighty degrees and started walking away from the female ewe. "Take care", and with those last words, the tanuki waves dismissively towards the sheep and the recording comes to an abrupt stop.
"What the fuck is this…?" Matt thought with his right eye shot wide open and his mouth slightly agape after watching the video. He had discovered a truth he did not expect to discover for himself. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. "Dammit! I've should've known!" as those words left the injured fox's mouth, he slams his fists onto the desk with an angry snarl. "Iizuka has been the traitor all along! God Dammit!" the fox was furious now that he knew Iizuka was the traitor all along, the real mastermind behind leaking the information to the Neo-Shogunate government. Had he figured this out sooner in Zootopia, he would've slain Iizuka at the Ishin-Mirkwood camp.
However, now was not the time to think of such matters, for there were lives currently at stake. The fox took several deep breaths as an attempt to sate his anger, wanting to try and find Jenny, Tomoe, and Stu before something had happened to them. His right eye focuses on the computer screen before him and moves the mouse to the surveillance tab, clicking on it and allowing him to see the surveillance footage for the cameras on the first floor.
"Alright, now to track down Jenny and Tomoe", Matt thought inside of his mind, right as he kept clicking all of the cameras displayed on the first floor. However, none of them depicted what he was looking for, and decided to check the second floor. He was about to click on the first camera on the second floor, right until he saw the fourth floor icon flashing on the top left of the screen. "What's this?" he asked in his head before moving the mouse cursor to the fourth floor icon and clicks on it. That's when he saw some movement on the camera in the courtyard area. He hovers the cursor over the camera depicting the courtyard area and clicks on it, watching the camera feed enlarged enough to cover most of the screen.
And what he saw made his right eye widen with surprise.
The screen depicted both Jenny and Tomoe holding each other in a comforting embrace, with Tomoe's face showing signs of swelling on the left side of her face. He was about to wonder about the person responsible with leaving her aunt bearing a bruise on the left side of her face, but when his eye spotted the tiger waiting at the heart of the courtyard. Based off the clothing the fox spotted on the tiger's body, he was certain he was the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu ninja clan.
The same ninja who was responsible in the capture of his brother, Nick, barely a month ago, unbeknownst to the assassin.
"So he must be the guy Judy told me about", Matt began within his mind before narrowing his right eye sternly. "Tatsumi, the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu clan", the fox added in his head following a soft growl leaving his mouth. "Now I know where to find them. Now to find where they're holding Stu", shortly after that thought coursed Matt's mind, his right eyes notices the icon for the basement level flashing similarly to how the fourth floor icon flashed. He hovers the cursor over the basement level icon and clicks on it, thus shrinking the courtyard camera and pulling up the nine basement level cameras almost immediately. All of them were idle, and many of them lacked activity within them.
Except for one….
The middle camera depicted enough movement to where it caught Matt's attention, the fox moving the cursor to the middle camera and double clicks on the rectangular box depicting the footage. The surveillance footage enlarged enough to where it covered most of the screen and allowed the assassin to look closer at the contents within the footage. And what he saw instantly made his right eye widen with unexpected surprise.
Stu Hopps was currently inside a holding cell that looked much identical to a padded cell seen at an asylum. Parts of his body, particularly his face, was covered in bruises, with both his ankles and his wrists bound by metallic shackles attached to the padded wall. He was pretty much in the same attire Matt had seen him wear, albeit with his clothes being torn along with his hat being missing. Perhaps as a result of the encounter with the Neo-Yaminobu clan Judy told him about recently? While that was likely, the fox wasn't entirely certain.
One thing he was certain about now was the location of the people he needed to save. Now came two questions that began pondering in his mind: Shall he go save Jenny and Tomoe first and save Stu right afterwards? Or would it be better to go save Stu Hopps first and then go save Jenny and his aunt?
He wondered for a least a minute between the two questions before making a decision on what to do next. And it was in that moment he decided to take the latter decision: get Stu out of captivity and then head to the fourth floor and save both his mate and his aunt. With his decision made, the fox walks away from the computer and exits the room, turning to the left and spotting an elevator within the distance.
The fox presses the down button the instant he arrived to the entrance of the elevator, watching the stainless steel doors slide open for the fox. The assassin enters the elevator and presses the button for the basement level, thus allowing the doors to close and for the elevator to descend towards the designated level. It took only a few seconds to reach the level, but as soon as the doors open, the fox exits the lighted elevator and enters the dimly lighted hallway, the lights flickering on and off repetitively at certain portions of the hall. But even with being partially blinded from the previous explosion earlier, along with the lights being barely lit, his nocturnal vision still helped enable the vulpine to see.
Now that he was no longer inside of the elevator, the vulpine began walking along the hallway and surveyed his surroundings. From what he can tell, this portion of the facility didn't look as renovated like the first floor. Aside from the obvious flickering of the lights, he noticed the walls were stained with subtle hints of grime that were completely noticeable in the flickering lights. But that wasn't the only thing that stained some of the walls.
In fact, some of the walls in the holding cells, from what Matt could see through the windows, were stained with noticeable hints of dried blood. Did something happen within Bellwether Enterprises he wasn't made aware of? Does it have anything to do with the incident at the Ishin-Mirkwood camp? These questions popped into his mind, but nevertheless, he continues to walk along the dimly, flickering lighted hall in relative silence.
His right eye continues to survey his surroundings within the best of its ability, hoping to find the holding cell Stu was located in. But all of the sudden, he came to an abrupt stop when his partially deaf ears flickered at a faint sound coming from behind, the fox quickly turning around to find the source of the barely audible commotion. Yet his partially blinded eye could not find the source of the sound.
Nothing was even there to begin with, yet there was something still bothering him….
"I could've sworn I've heard something…. Am I becoming delusional?" Matt thought inside of his own mind, keeping his gaze locked towards the direction he had came from, and the direction in which the faint sound was heard. But with a soft sigh, he turns around and continues to walk slowly towards the direction he was heading. "Its probably nothing… yet there's this feeling I can't shake off. I feel like I'm being watched by some odd presence…" he wasn't sure of what to think at this point, but right now he had to focus his attention on finding Stu Hopps and getting him out of here.
Speaking of Stu, it didn't take the fox much longer to find the fatherly rabbit, because the fox's right eye spots the bunny being held within a holding cell right next to the medical room up ahead. And when he found him, the fox grabs the doorknob leading into his cell and attempts to open the door. However, it wouldn't budge, which meant the door itself was locked.
Now that he stumbles upon this particular problem, the tod takes a few steps back and gets into his battojutsu stance, gripping the hilt of his sword with his right hand-paw tightly and focusing his right eye on the door. He waited only for the slightest of moments, but in an instant, he unsheathes the sword and severs the large door into several pieces within a fraction of a second. And alas, the locked door was destroyed, and a completely shocked yelp was heard from the older bunny inside.
"Whoa! What in tar-nation?!" Stu exclaimed with shock right after he saw what Matt had done to the door. But even as his eyes remain locked on damage Matt had done, the fox himself began approaching the rabbit and sheathes his sword as he drew closer.
"It's alright, Mr. Hopps. It's just me", Matt spoke responded with soft, panting breaths as he drew closer to the bound bunny. Once he had gotten close enough, the fox slams on each one of the shackles using the back of the hilt of his sword, with each one snapping in two easily thanks to the caliber of his strength combine with his Hiten Mitsurugi sword style. Stu falls onto his feet-paws immediately after the binds were destroyed and began rubbing his wrists gently. "Are you alright?" he asked calmly as he turns towards his direction.
"Yeah… I am now", Stu replied with a nod, his eyes focused on his own wrists as he rubbed them. "Thanks, For a second, I thought I was a-" he began, but as the bunny's gaze shift's towards Matt, his eyes quickly widen into a horrified expression the instant he saw his condition. "Good lord, Matt! What in God's name happened to you?!" he exclaimed with shock.
"Don't worry about me, Mr. Hopps… I'm alright", Matt replied calmly, albeit with soft, panting breaths because of the injuries he received.
"Like hell you are, Matt! You're bleeding all over the place", Stu replied as he gestured towards the vulpine's wounds with his hand-paws.
"Mr. Hopps… Seriously, I'm-"
"Don't give me that, Matt! You need medical attention right now!" Stu yelled at the fox almost authoritatively like a parent scolding their child. Matt was prepared to speak, but stopped when the bunny raises his right hand-paw towards him. "There's a medical room next door we can go to and get those wounds treated. And please, for the love of god, don't tell me you're fine", the bunny continued following a soft sigh leaving his mouth. "Look, I'm no doctor, but one of my daughter's happened to be a nurse and taught this old buck a thing or two on how to treat injuries. At least let me tend those wounds of yours… please", the rabbit begged, yet the fox lowers his gaze to the floor and stared at it for at least a good minute. But then, a soft sigh leaves his mouth and looks back up to the bunny, a small, genuine smile being seen on his face.
"Alright…" Matt replied with a nod, much to the relief of the older bunny. But even with Stu being nervous around him, with Matt being a fox and all, he was still relieved the fox was able to listen to his pleas. And with that, the rabbit starts rushing towards the medical room next door, with the vulpine following behind.
Fortunately, when they arrived to the front door of the medical room, they discovered the door was already unlocked, much to their convenience. Matt was tall enough to reach the doorknob and grabs a firm hold of it before twisting the knob to the left. The vulpine pushes the door open and the two enter the medical room, with Stu supporting the fox by grabbing the vulpine's right arm and placing it over his shoulders. Stu may be shorter than the fox, but he was certainly strong enough to support the fox. And as they entered, the bunny uses his right foot-paw to close the door behind them, leaving them alone and allowing Stu to tend to Matt's wounds.
Nearly thirty minutes had passed since the two had entered the medical room next door. A this point, Matt's wounds were mostly tended to, save for the current bandage he was applying on the fox's right shoulder. Matt's strongly built torso was practically revealed to the bunny, with his abdominal region being covered in white gauze wrap tight enough to help cover the slash rounds he had received on his back from Yatsume earlier. But with his shoulders also becoming wrapped in gauze wrap bandages, it almost looked like the fox was wearing a modified tank top stained with bits of blood on his back and shoulders.
Yet during the thirty minute gap between the time he started tending to Matt's wounds to the moment he finished them, Stu couldn't help but occasionally look back and forth between both Matt's face and the injuries on his body. He's seen him only a few times before, one of them back at the motel in October, and again at the residence yesterday. Yet there was something about him that reminded of someone he met before… but who?
"Is something bothering you?", Matt said softly with a thankful tune, snapping the bunny out of his train of thought before looking up at the wounded fox.
"Huh? Oh, uh, I just have a lot on my mind at the moment, Matt", Stu replied with a nod, all while he watched the fox put his three-fourths sleeved shirt back onto his torso, covering his bandages except for the parts in which his shirt was torn. But even while he was putting on his shirt, a light chuckle managed to escape the fox's mouth for a reason the male bunny was unaware of.
"I have a feeling there's more to it than what you're telling me", Matt responded, turning his gaze towards the bunny and looking at him with a calm expression on his face, yet bore a slight hint of a smile on his face. Yet the barely noticeable smile turns into a calm frown. "Tell me what's on your mind", the fox added calmly, placing his hand-paws inside of his pockets while locking his one open eyed gaze towards the rabbit.
"Well… it's just", Stu began, right before he closes his eyes and lets a soft sigh. "Every time I look at you, I keep getting this feeling that I met you somewhere, and I can't think of the darn reason on why", the bunny continued, right before opening his eyes and looking at the muscular fox sitting on a leather bench nearby. "There was this vixen and her nephew Bonnie and I met at the Carrot Days Festival eight and a half years ago in Bunnyburrow. If I recall correctly, I believe her name was Karen Longstride. She and her nephew came up to us and-"
"Asked for directions to the Tri-Burrows Correctional Camp. Believe me, I still remember that day as if it were yesterday", Matt interrupted, remembering that moment as clear as day. Unfortunately, it was also the last day he saw his aunt alive, whom had died amongst nearly two hundred other attendees during the attack on the campsite. And on that same night, he had to bury every single corpse at the Correctional Camp grounds they were killed, victim and murderer alike.
Stu retains his gaze at the fox for at least another moment with a cocked brow, almost suspicious behind the young vulpine's words. But the longer he looked at him, the more he could see the truth behind his words. And then it all clicked, and his eyes instantly shoot wide open upon such realization!
"You're Karen's nephew, aren't you, Matt?" right as Stu asked, the vulpine nods in response before turning his gaze at the bunny.
"Yeah… I am", Matt replied with a light nod.
"And what happened to her? Shouldn't she be worried about you?" Stu asked while placing his hand-paws inside of his pockets, his gaze hardening towards him as he kept asking questions regarding his mother. However, the fox turns away from the bunny and lets a soft, depressed sigh leave his mouth.
"Unfortunately… Karen's not around anymore", Matt answered, his hand-paws gently grabbing his thighs just above the knees. "Shortly after we got registered at the Correctional camp site, we were attacked by bandits within the area", he explained, closing his right eye and shaking his head softly for a moment before he ceased his actions and reopened his right eye half-liddedly. "Everybody at the site was slain by the bandits, including my aunt. I was the only survivor…" as soon as he told the bunny regarding the fate of his aunt, along with the others who were where that fateful night, Stu's hardened gaze softened and his eyes widen upon hearing this.
"And what of the bandits?" Stu asked calmly, yet with a slight hint of fear in his voice. Even as he asked, he honestly wasn't sure if he wanted to here what happened to the bandits that same night.
"They were slain by my former master, Hiko Seijuro", Matt answered. "But… if he hadn't come when he had, I most certainly would've died", the fox finished with a nod right before he stands up onto his feet-paws and clutches the top of his sword's sheath, turning his attention to the rabbit right after doing so. "Speaking of relatives, your daughter's waiting for you in your truck as we speak. She started looking for you shortly after you were attacked last night", right after the fox said that, the bunny's eyes widen with complete surprise.
"Wait, how did you-"
"Your daughter told me everything", Matt interrupted with his right hand-paw raised, yet lowers it about a moment or two later. "She's waiting for you inside the truck at the front parking lot. Unfortunately, I cannot accompany you there after I take you to the elevator, for I have other business to tend to", the fox claimed, right as he started walking towards the large door. He reaches for the knob and was about to turn it, when a thought suddenly crosses his mind. "Though there is one more thing I wanna ask you", the vulpine suddenly said, right as he turns around and notices the bunny approaching him.
"What is it?" Stu asked curiously, yet with a cocked and slightly suspicious brow.
"At the festival about eight and a half years ago, was Judy ever attacked by another fox?" Matt asked, and that definitely got an expected reaction from Stu, seeing his eyes widen with shock upon hearing him ask that particular question.
"Uh, y-yeah", Stu stuttered slightly. "There was this one fox we knew back in the Tri-Burrows region named Gideon who struck her left cheek with his claws. But her fur's grown back enough to cover them now", the bunny answered, yet soon regained the curious and suspicious brow shortly after he answered the fox's question. "How did you-"
"I saw the whole thing happen at the time Karen and I were heading towards the Correctional Camp", Matt interrupted. "Although I wasn't sure if whether or not she was your daughter at the time, so I honestly wasn't able to say anything. Not to mention were were running late as it was", he added. "However, that does answer why you acted the way you did towards me a couple months back, and why you were hesitant around Tomoe and I yesterday as well", the fox finished all while looking towards the nervous bunny behind him.
"Well I… er… um…" Stu began right as he started rubbing the back of his head nervously. However, Matt raises his right hand-paw upwards in order to silence the other male.
"Don't worry about it, Mr. Hopps", Matt interrupted calmly before lowering his hand-paw to his side. "I'm not particularly fond of your prejudice towards my kind. I can understand it, however, because of what happened to your daughter. Though I would recommend you try to overcome them as soon as possible, alright", he suggested to the bunny. But although the rabbit was unsure if whether or not he could overcome his…concerns regarding foxes, he had to try (or at the very least, tolerate foxes for the time being).
"Alright", Stu replied with a nod. "I can't make any promises, Matt, but I will try", but even after the bunny said that, the fox nods with understanding and turns back to fact the door, grabbing the doorknob and turning it to the left before pulling the door open. That was the moment both he and Stu leave the medical room and began departing towards the elevator.
But down the hall opposite of the direction where Stu and Matt were heading, a lone, feminine sheep who was roughly about two feet eleven inches tall hid within the shadows of the dimly lit hall. Her green eyes glare narrowly towards the two males with an angered snarl, and a gun of some sort being gripped tightly on her right hoof.
During the time Stu was tending to Matt's wounds, Dawn Bellwether sought the opportunity to leave the fifth floor surveillance room and make her move against the assassin. She had grabbed the weapon from her office along with a clip containing blue pellets within them. For the passed several minutes, she hid with the shadows with the gun gripped tightly on her right hoof. And now she was watching them departing to the elevator, along with her being out of sight, the sheep seizes the opportunity to aim the firearm towards the vulpine before placing her index finger onto the trigger.
"Bye bye, Battousai", and as those words quietly left the sheep's mouth, Dawn pulls the trigger and fires a pellet directly towards the assassin himself. Matt's ears, despite being nearly deaf, flicker at the sound of the approaching projectile and turns around. But by the time he did was when he felt a ping on the left side of his neck, making the fox reflexively grab the area.
"What the hell?" Matt asked softly right as he moves his left hand-paw towards the front. He was curious of what hit the left side of his neck, despite feeling a slightly burning sensation starting to form at the exact same spot. His right eye notices the blue liquid on his gloved hand-paw, narrowing his right eye on it a bit to help focus on it.
That's when everything clicked! The blue liquid and the burning sensation that was slowly increasing on the left side of his neck. In that instant, he immediately realized what the liquid itself was.
"Fuck! I've been darted by a Night Howler pellet", Matt thought inside of his mind before turning towards the direction where the bullet had come from. But by the time he did, the person who fired it was already gone, with the faint sound of another elevator being heard at the other part of the hall. His breathing slowly grew rapid, his shoulders were shivering up and down in correlation with his panting. And the burning sensation he felt on his neck began to quickly spread throughout his body to the point growls began escaping his mouth. It was those same growls that immediately grabbed the older bunny's attention
"Matt, is everything alright?" Stu asked out of concern shortly before the fox suddenly collapses onto the ground, his right arm wrapping around his abdominal while his left grasps the corresponding side of his neck.
"No, I'm not!" Matt replied with a slight hint of an unusual growl in his voice, much to the bunny's surprise. His ears perk upward, and his eyes widen with a mixture of fear and shock in his voice. Matt gets back onto his knees and uses his right hand-paw to support himself. "Stu, listen to me!" he began with heaving growls leaving his mouth, his eyes turned away from the rabbit and doing whatever he could to resist the influence of the Night Howlers. "I've been struck by a Night Howler pellet!"
"Night Howler pellet? What in the hell are you-"
"Listen to me!" Matt interrupted with an unusually harsh growl, silencing the frighten bunny before the fox continued to speak with partially guttural growls. "Judy's waiting in the truck… at the front parking lot!" the fox explained as best as he could before closing his right eye tight and grasping the sides of his head. His blood was boiling, his mind was becoming clouded, and his body ached with an excruciating, burning pain. "You must… get out of here… before its too late!" the fox exclaimed, albeit with a guttural growl, doing everything he can to resist the Night Howler influence afflicting his mind.
"Matt, there's no way I'm leaving you here!" Stu suddenly exclaimed with a frown and began marching towards him, unaware that the fox was starting to snarl with his white fangs slowly revealing themselves. "We have to get you-"
"GO!" Matt shouted from the top of his lungs, again with a growl in his voice right before reopening his right eye. The tone of his voice caused the male bunny to flinch in fright. But the growl in his voice wasn't the only thing that made the rabbit tremble with fear. It was the iris in Matt's pupil that also made him tremble with fear. The iris in his eye was currently shifting back and forth between a sharp slit and a circular shape, which unbeknownst to him, symbolized the internal battle between the Night Howler's influence and Matt's mind.
But even as he saw this, Stu's frightened expression shifts from that of feat to a determined frown on his face.
"Alright, I understand", and right after those words left the old rabbit's mouth, Stu quickly turns around and rushes towards the elevator, hopping high enough to press the 'open' button and allowing the elevator doors to open. He quickly enters and hops high enough to press the button to the first floor, immediately shifting his gaze towards Matt and watching him attempt to stand back up onto his feet-paws. "Godspeed, Matt", he uttered under his breath prior to the elevator doors closing, thus allowing the elevator to ascend towards the upper level and take the rabbit to his destination.
Completely unaware to both Matt and Stu, Dawn Bellwether was currently riding the other elevator towards the fifth floor. She held a black ICarrot 3G phone on her right hoof and gazed intently towards the phone's screen. What was being depicted on the screen was the current security footage taking place in the Basement Level of the facility, particularly focused on the fox who was now quivering in pain.
However, something wasn't right about this, and her green eyes gaze at the current state of Matt's body.
"I don't understand…" Dawn thought within her mind as her eyes narrow slightly at the phone's screen, continuing to watch the vulpine trying his best to fight off the Night Howler's influence. "He should've gone savage right now, and yet he's resisting the serum's influence. How is he able to resist the effects of the serum so easily…?"
"You should know better than to assume the Night Howler serum would be able to effect an assassin, let alone, Battousai the Animal Slayer", Enishi's voice suddenly rang through the ear piece attached to her ear, almost as if he had read her mind. The ewe snaps her attention away from the screen and grabs the ear piece with her hoof.
"Ugh! What do you mean?!" Dawn exclaimed suddenly.
"In other words, regardless of the amount of the strength the Night Howler has, it can never break the mind of a swordsmammal so long their mind is razor sharp", Enishi claimed on the other end of the line, much to the ewe's disliking. "However, we do not have time for anymore discord. Report back to the fifth floor surveillance room immediately", and with that, the vulpine on the other line hung up and leaves the sheep in her own train of thought. But soon enough, she tilts her head up the instant the elevator doors open.
"Stupid pred", and right after those words quietly left Dawn's mouth, the ewe starts dashing towards the fifth floor surveillance room with haste.
Within an Unknown Plane…
Nothingness… a plane in which nothing but the faintest of blue light can be seen. But even with the blue light being seen from the bottom of the plane, it wasn't enough to lighten the dark realm. But even with the realm being void of anything, it was not uninhabited. In fact, the supposedly non-occupant realm was currently occupied by two figures within.
Matt Wilde was currently fighting against a savage version of himself, and his jade green eyes glaring towards the savage fox's blood red pair. The muscular vulpine's breaths were nearly heavy much like how his eyes were half-lidded with exhaustion. He was a very strong mammal, indeed, but this savage beast, this hugely herculean beast form of himself, was in an entirely different class.
Speaking of the savage beast, Matt's eyes gaze towards the monster intently with his blade raised. From what he knew, the monster was definitely nearly three times his normal size, and his muscles were bulging with thick veins across his arms and parts of his chest. His clothing was much like Matt's yet mostly ripped across various parts of his body. But even with the herculean mass of muscle and the sheer size of the beast, that wasn't the only thing that was terrifying feature about him.
What was more terrifying about the savage beast was the fact his fangs were much longer and sharper than Matt's own set of teeth, with his muzzle being pulled back in a fierce snarl to reveal such canines. The fur on his body was sticking upward fiercely to radiate a strongly aggressive aura around the monster. If that weren't enough, his claws would be more than enough to send shivers down one's spine. They were just as sharp and long as his teeth, all to serve a similar purpose.
To kill the target before the monster. And in this case, Matt Wilde.
"Shit… This furball's a lot stronger than he looks" Matt swore under his breath while he did his best to keep his stance, his vision slightly blurring back and forth between clarity and a blur. "This isn't good. If I don't do anything to stop him now, I'm fucked", the fox spoke softly as he kept his gaze locked on his monstrous opponent before him. His eyes narrow slightly in order to focus on his opponent and perhaps to find any possible weak points on the being.
Even with his best attempts at finding a weak point, not a single one could be found on the herculean beast, much to Matt's frustration. But he never bothered to show his frustration to the beast, lest the monster would use it to his advantage. Then again, the beast was a monstrous version of himself, and if he assumed correctly, the beast himself most likely has the same strengths and weakness like him.
Except for his huge size, however…
But even if that were the case, that ain't gonna stop Matt from trying to attack! The fox himself suddenly starts dashing towards the monster with his blade pointed towards the beast. He suddenly leaps in the air and pulls his blade back, preparing to strike the savage monster down with a single swing of the blade.
But a powerful sweep with the monster's right arm sought and end to Matt's attack, with the force of the attack being powerful enough to knock the vulpine back roughly twenty yards away. Even with the illusion of not being a surface to crash against, Matt still smashes against the floor and skids several more yards away from the beast. His sword was still gripped tightly by his right hand-paw, yet the fox himself began struggling in his attempt to regain his stance. He was in an unimaginable amount of pain, and his body was shivering from the pain.
"Fuck…" Matt grunted under his breath right as he manages to get onto his knees, slowly pushing himself up by using his sword as a cane to support him. But it was an utter failure, however, because the vulpine suddenly collapses onto the ground with panting breaths. He was completely exhausted, and his body was in unbelievable pain. "I can't… get up…" the fox thought with panting breaths, his eyes slowly starting to close as his eyes gaze towards the approaching beast. But even with his eyes fixed upon the monster, his vision began to blur and the corners of his eyes started to become engulfed in darkness. "I'm sorry, Tomoe… I'm sorry… Jenny…" the tod uttered in a soft breath as the darkness soon began to cloud his vision, all while he notices the savage animal raise his right set of claws upward in preparation for the next kill.
But then something unexpected happened! The savage monster growls in agonizing pain right as it was suddenly being severed into dozens of chunky pieces by another blade. Matt was about to lose consciousness until he felt a large amount of blood splatter onto the vulpine's body unexpectedly. While nearly unconscious, he still managed to keep awake and slowly tilts his head up towards the front.
That was when he saw another pair of fox feet-paws stopping directly in front of him, the fox trailing his gaze up towards the black, tattered pants the other vulpine wore. Matt slowly places his hand-paws onto the ground and attempted to regain his stance, all while continuing to trail his gaze up along the other fox's torso. If he weren't on the verge of losing consciousness, he sure as hell wasn't anymore after what he saw. His eyes widen the instant he saw the partially skeletal arms along with ripped portions of flesh caused by numerous bite marks on his body, particularly on how grotesque his neck looked. Hell, parts of his arms and torso had exposed, rotting flesh to the point he literally looked like something that came out of a zombie flick.
But the most disturbing feature on the grotesque fox were his eyes, with the sclera being purely black instead of the usual white color. His eye color was the exact same color as Matt's own jade green pair, yet they glowed brightly enough for many to become horrified by just looking at them. But in this case, those glowing eyes weren't looking at him in a grimly manner, but that of a serious, yet parental concern. The longer Matt looked at his eyes, the more familiar they became. And then the younger fox's eyes widen with a shocking revelation.
"Dad…?" Matt asked softly, right as the ghastly fox kneels in front of the younger tod and gently helps him up by wrapping his right arm around Matt's waist and lifting him up onto his feet-paws. The younger fox gazes directly towards the other fox's eyes right as the ghastly figure furrows his brows with a serious expression on his face.
"Matt… you can't die just yet", the ghost of Matt's father, John Victor Wilde, spoke with a slight gruff in his voice, his eyes slightly narrowing towards his son as he continued. "You have to save Tomoe and Jenny from the Tatsumi's grasp".
"But how?" Matt asked right as he turns his head towards the left, gazing directly in the dark, black and blue plane they occupied. "I'm practically stuck here with no way out", the fox continued right before turning his gaze back towards the ghost of his father, his eyes narrowing slightly and his brows furrowing almost angrily. "More importantly, what the hell happened to you? Where the hell have you been all these-"
"There's no time to explain!" Victor interrupted with a growl while simultaneously grabbing a hold of the neckline of his shirt and pulling his own son towards him. "I've already slain the Night Howler influence from within your mind. But you must wake up and-"
"Don't give me any of that bullshit!" Matt quickly interrupted with a growl prior to grabbing his father's arm and yanking it off of his shirt. "What the hell happened to you? Where the fuck have you been after all of these years?!" the fox yelled with an angry look in his eyes, slowly watering with every question he asked. "Why the hell did you leave our family all of those years-" he was about to finish his question, yet was immediately interrupted when his father suddenly punched him right on his left cheek, causing the tod to stumble backwards a few steps and grab a hold of his left cheek.
"God dammit, Matt! We don't have time for this discord!" Victor growled with a snarl, his canines glistening in a mixture of both white and black in response to the decay caused by his death. "I don't get why you're so god damn insistent on asking instead of trying to wake up! Why are you even involved with the Neo-Imperialist movement?" the ghastly figure continued to ask. "More importantly, why the hell are you in the Kawasabus region in Ohio in the first place?! Why the hell aren't you in Zootopia with your Mother-"
"I'VE LOST CONTACT WITH HER AFTER KAREN WAS MURDERED!" as soon as Matt shouted those words, the ghastly fox suddenly recoiled with shock on his face.
"What…?" Victor asked softly, his brows no longer furrowed and now pointed upward with a combination of shock, regret, and remorse.
"I lost contact with Mom after I was taken to the Tri-Burrows correctional Camp Site after I got in trouble at school over eight years ago. After Karen was murdered alongside nearly two hundred others, I tried to contact Mom and the others, but I wasn't able to because her phone was died. At the time, I didn't know what to do and I had no way of charging the phone since the power had been severed from both the facility and the vehicles alike", Matt explained, quickly clenching his fists and closing his eyes tightly, but even with his eyes shut tight, it didn't stop the tears from streaming down his face. "After the massacre, I buried the bodies of the dead, both victim and murderer alike before Hiko Seijuro took me in under his wing for a few years", the fox continued to explain, even as his shoulders began to quiver. "I tried to save Karen even at the cost of my own life, but she and two others sacrificed theirs in order to save mine…" he added right before a soft sob escaped his mouth. "It still haunts me to this day… wondering what I could've done to prevent this tragedy from happening", the fox continued to speak, even as the ghost of his father continued to gaze at him with shock and pity.
"Matt…" Victor said softly with a worried tone, yet soon closes his eyes and lets a soft sigh leaves his mouth. He may not be able to provide the proper comfort a father would for his son… but in that instant, he knew what he had to do. "Alright, kiddo, there's not much I can do to comfort your pain. But there is something I can do for you", the instant that left Victor's mouth, Matt's ears perk upward and causes the vulpine to tilt his head up towards the ghost of his father.
"What do you mean?" Matt asked right before he uses his right forearm to dry the tears off of his face. Right after wiping the tears on his face did he notice his father raise his left hand-paw up and began walking towards his son.
"The least I can do for you, is show you the truth through my own eyes, both during the days amongst the living, and up to my days as a spirit", as those words left Victor's mouth, he turns towards the front of the plane and raises his left hand-paw, with Matt turning towards the same direction his father had. The darkness surrounding the front of the plane began to dissipate to the size of a large movie theater screen and began to play out some sort of vision.
Through the eyes of his John Victor Wilde…
The first event took place on January 5th, 2001, where rain was pouring heavily outside within the Savanna Central District in Zootopia. But the strange thing about this was the fact the event was being portrayed in black and white, almost like a first person noir crime thriller. Odd, black and white? What was this, a silent film or something? Those questions coursed Matt's mind as he watched various pass by with every second passing. The sound of footsteps also accompanied the silence of the memory, along with the repetitive tapping of rain drops dropping onto the ground. But he wasn't in control of his own body at all. It were as if he were being controlled like a player controlling a character in a video game.
"Wait a minute… am I watching the events unfold through your eyes?" The voice of Matt spoke as he continued to watch the events unfold before his very eyes. Or his father's eyes in this particular case.
"Yes", the voice of Victor replied affirmatively, all while the events continue to play out in thorough detail.
Before long, the fox, now identified as John Victor Wilde himself, suddenly marches into an alley almost as if he were angry about the environment itself. But was he mad about the city itself, or was it for another reason Matt couldn't distinguish? Yet as he continued to watch, something began popping into his mind.
"Wait a second", Matt began. "This was on the same night you left us after you and Mom had an argument, didn't you?"
"That's right" Victor confirmed, much to the younger vulpine's surprise. "Pay attention, son. You're gonna wanna see this", he said to the other fox all while the two continue to watch the events of that fateful night play out.
Then all of the sudden, something unexpected happened! A huge, polar bear sized black 2001 Ford FT 350 van suddenly pulls up at the other end of the alleyway with several large mammals, both predator and prey, stepping out of the vehicle and rushing towards him. Victor draws his katana out of its sheath and places the blade in front of him, right before he starts darting towards the mammals rushing towards him. He slays the first few with his blade by severing them into many pieces, yet one of the remaining survivors, particularly a strongly built polar bear, slams his fist against the fox's left side and causes the vulpine to crash violently against the wall. It was more than enough to subdue him and cause the vulpine to drift off into a state of unconsciousness.
But the darkness did not linger for much longer, for another scene began to reveal itself to Matt through the eyes of his father. Yet even as he was about to discover another truth behind his father's whereabouts. But one thing he didn't expect was the scene to take place within the old Ishin-Mirkwood Camp in Kawasabus.
"Hold on a second..." Matt began with a surprised tone in his voice. "Is that… the Kawasabus Ishin-Mirkwood camp…?"
"Yes, my son", Victor answered with a nod. right before going silent and continuing to watch the entire scene play out before his very eyes.
The next scene being depicted started with Thrandeer Katzuma currently speaking with Matt's father inside of the clan leader's quarters, both mammals sitting across from one another with the sofas provided. However, he wasn't able to decipher the words they were saying because of the visions being inaudible. But if only Matt were able to read lip, he would be able to make out what they were conversing about. Yet the younger vulpine knew better than to assume it was idle chatter, since he himself had joined the clan nearly four years ago (despite not being involved in the assassination industry until about half a year later).
But the scenery of the Ishin-Mirkwood office didn't last much longer, for it fades into darkness for a moment before depicting a bloody battle somewhere within the woods between Kawasabus and New Otsu. From what Matt could see, there were roughly three hundred mammals clashing against one another with their swords. While many bore the clothes of the Neo-Shogunate armies, many others bore the clothing of the Neo-Imperialist armies, which included the Ishin-Mirkwood, Ishin-Lothlorien, and other extremist groups aligned to them. Several dozen bodies lie on the ground even as the fight continued to progress.
"This was the Battle of the Ishin-Lothlorien forest, a battle I got involved in shortly after I fled my captors and joined the Ishin-Mirkwood clan in two thousand four", Victor began. "The very same battle that started the alliance between the Ishin-Mirkwood and Ishin-Lothlorien clans. The very same battle that caused many Neo-Imperialists and extremists against the Neo-Shogunate regime to fight back", the ghastly fox explained, even with his son watching the battle unfold before his very eyes, seeing the battle from the eyes of his father.
Matt had to admit he was impressed with the way his father handled a sword. Sure, he had been good with many things, especially when it came to business and whatnot. He even knew his father owned a suit tailor shop within the Savanna Central district in Zootopia, Wilde and Sons' Suit-Topia. But he never knew about his father being a competent swordsmammal, nor for the fact he was affiliated with the Ishin-Mirkwood clan itself. Speaking of which….
"Wait, if you were affiliated with the Ishin-Mirkwood clan, how come I wasn't able to find you?" Matt asked, turning towards his father with a cocked brow, only to be met with a sigh shortly after he asked.
"I was assigned at the New Takagi and New Otsu factions of the clan at the time", Victor answered, right before tilting his head back and looking away from his son, with another soft sigh leaving his mouth. "I wasn't made aware you were apart of the clan until around May of two thousand nine. But by the time I began searching for you", the ghastly fox continued, yet paused for a brief enough moment to tilt his head upward and turn towards his son. "John Bellwether's men tracked me down and captured me for the second time", and with that explanation, the two foxes turn towards the vision and watches the scene become engulfed into darkness.
Yet again, shortly after the scene was engulfed in darkness did another one come to play. This time, it took place within the designated month and year Victor had just mentioned: May of two thousand nine. Matt could see the fox walking through the New Takagi woods firsthand through his father's eyes. It was dark at night, yet his nocturnal vision enabled him to make out the details with near-perfect clarity. His vision was keen, and his eyes scout the area thoroughly like a hawk scouting for its next prey.
Then everything happened in an instant! Victor spotted his targets and suddenly draws his sword from its sheath, right before he sprints towards them and slays them almost instantly. One after another, the bodies of various mammals, predator and prey alike, drop to the ground with each swing of Victor's blade. Before long, all of his targets were slain, and his blade was completely stained with the blood of his victims.
But that wasn't all that was depicted in this particular scenario.
Right as the vulpine was wiping the blade clean of his victim's blood, his ears flickered at the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching him from his left. He quickly wipes his blade clean and prepared to strike, only to be rendered unconscious when a large, brown furred wolf decked him on the left side of his face. Once again, everything goes black for the older vulpine, and alas, the scene comes to an end…
However, another scene unfolds before Matt's very eyes. And what he could see genuinely surprised him. He, or his father in this situation, was now inside of a padded cell much identical to the one Matt found Stu Hopps inside of. And much like how Stu was found, Victor's wrists and ankles were bound by metallic shackles attached to the padded walls within. But it seems he wasn't the only occupant inside of the cell.
A yellow and creamy tan colored lion with a dark red mane was bound by shackles on the wall adjacent to Victor's right. In fact, he looked almost exactly like someone Matt actually knew in person, yet there was a minor difference with him. It was obvious he looked younger than Salazar Lionwhite, and the lion's eyes were slightly more blueish than Alexander's teal pair. But now that he thought about it, it suddenly clicked!
"Is that… Alexander Lionwhite's brother?!" Matt asked upon learning this revelation.
"Yes", Victor answered with a nod. "He and his brother were also Neo-Imperialists like myself. However, both of them were affiliated with the Ishin-Lothlorien clan", the ghastly vulpine explained calmly with his arms crossed, yet the two foxes continued to watch the scene play out. "This one took place on the day of my death barely two months after my capture. The seventeenth of July, two thousand nine", as he said those words, the vision began depicting the vulpine looking up towards the door across from him, seeing John Bellwether entering with some sort of gun in his right hand-paw.
Matt couldn't exactly decipher the type of weapon he had on his hoof. Yet for some reason, he couldn't help but think it was much similar to a pellet gun of some sort. Now that he thought about it, it honestly did look like a pellet gun with a silencer attached to the muzzle. The younger tod continues to watch the scene play out, along with the sheep's mouth constantly moving even if the conversation itself was inaudible.
However, it didn't take long before the male ewe suddenly aims his modified pellet gun towards the lion before pulling the trigger, firing a familiar, blueberry sized pellet towards its intended target. It hits Salazar's neck and sprayed its contents around the area it hit. The lion began convulsing, his body constantly twitching, and before long, broke free from its binds and lunged himself towards the bound vulpine. And the instant Salazar's teeth sunk into the vulpine's body, his vision immediately faded into darkness.
"I should've known John would've done such a thing", Matt claimed with a slight growl before clenching his own fists tightly. "At least he's gotten what he deserved".
"It seems so", Victor agreed with a nod. "But even if my body had died, I continued to linger on as a spirit in the shadows and keeping a close eye on the higher ranking Neo-Shogunate bastards", the ghostly vulpine added right before turning his gaze directly towards his son. "And to keep a close eye on you", the older tod claimed prior to moving his face towards the front. "to make sure nothing happened to you…" the words that left the ghost's mouth, the younger vulpine turns towards his father with a wave of unexpected surprise. But before he could say anything, the corner of his right eye caught the darkness fading into another vision and turns towards the front.
What Matt didn't expect to see was a vision of the Dawn Bellwether's office, who was currently in the middle of talking with the Ishin-Mirkwood examiner of executions. But the thing that surprised Matt the most was the fact it was the exact same vision he had seen on the surveillance footage on the first floor, especially with the comforting embrace the tanuki provided for the saddened ewe. Yet it was not from the camera's point of view, but again from his father's eyes. It was like his father was standing on the back left corner of the office watching the entire scene unfold.
"Wait a second… I remember watching this in the first floor surveillance room earlier today. It took place the night I've slain John Bellwether", Matt recalled before shifting his gaze towards his father. "Why are you showing me this?" he asked, a moment prior to his father shifting his gaze at his son.
"Because there is more to this meeting than what the surveillance camera was able to capture", Victor claimed shortly before refocusing his gaze back towards the scene replaying before his eyes, with Matt nodding before turning back towards the scene itself.
The scene continued to play out exactly like the camera footage depicted earlier, right up to the point where Iizuka waved dismissively towards the ewe. Both foxes continue to watch the scene play out as Iizuka steps out of the office, leaving the sheep alone within the confines of her office. Dawn turns away from the door and uses her right forearm to wipe the tears off of her face. She walks to the front of her desk and started scooting some of the files away from each other. But something unexpected started to happen, and it didn't not involve the objects being moved around on her desk.
It was the devious, toothy grin that began to form on the woman's face. But what happened next completely caught the younger fox by surprise.
"All according to plan", Dawn said softly under her breath before she began to sinisterly chuckle under her breath, her shoulders shivering in correlation with her chuckles. Matt's ears perked at hearing her voice, not having expected to hear her voice since the visions he saw had been void of any sound prior to this point.
"All according to plan…?" Matt asked softly under his breath with his eyes slightly widened at this odd revelation, turning to his father shortly after he heard this. "Dad… do you know anything about this…?" shortly after he asked, the ghastly figure closes his eyes and shook his head a couple times.
"I wish I knew, son", John answered honestly. "I did whatever I could to look into the matter. However, I wasn't able to find anything regarding the matter", the ghost continued, before reopening his eyes half-liddedly and furrows his brows towards the sheep being depicted on the screen. "But I'm certain she's up to something… something even John himself was unaware of", the older tod commented softly right before the scene itself began to fade into darkness.
"Something that John Bellwether was unaware of?" Matt asked, confusion being apparent in his tone of voice, only to receive a gentle nod from his old man in response.
"Yes", Victor replied with a nod right before he turning towards his son. "However, there is one more thing I think you should see", he began, pausing for a short enough moment to turn towards the front once again. "And this occurred last night at Tomoe's house while you and that bunny of yours were sleeping", that particular comment caught the fox by surprise. But before he could ask, the darkness began to fade and the next scene began to play out.
This particular scene took place on the night of December the Eighteenth, shortly after both Matt and Jenny had fallen asleep in each other's embrace. Sometime after the interspecies couple fell asleep, a dark gray 2009 Toyota Corolla Altis pulls up close to the driveway, yet didn't park within the driveway itself. Matt cocks a brow at the familiar vehicle right as he noticed the driver stepping out of the car slowly. But the instant he saw the tanuki's face, his eyes widen slightly at the vision he continued to watch
"The hell?" Matt suddenly asked with a genuinely surprised look on his face. "What the hell was Iizuka doing at our house last night?" he asked again, watching the tanuki sneak towards the right side of the house quickly, yet stealthily in an attempt to avoid getting spotted by the residents living in the house. The two sets of vulpine eyes gaze intently at the tanuki as they watch him climb on the tree next to the house and then into the window leading into Tomoe's room.
With the tanuki inside of the house, Iizuka quietly roams inside of the living room until his eyes spot the desk directly across from Tomoe's queen sized bed. A grin immediately forms on his face the instant she spotted her diary, tip-toeing towards the desk before grabbing something out of his inner hoodie pocket. But as soon as he pulled the object out of his pocket, Matt's eyes widen with a sudden revelation.
"What the fuck?!" Matt exclaimed with surprise in his voice, his eyes wide as he watched the tanuki replace Tomoe's diary on her desk with the replica he bore in his possession. "He switched Tomoe's Diary with a fake! I should've known that diary was a fake!"the fox growled right before he quickly clenches his hand-paws into fists, his forearm muscles contracting in response to clenching his hand-paws. However, he unclenches his hand-paws and turns towards his father the instant he felt one of his hand-paws rest on his shoulder.
"He's always a sneak bastard, even to this day", Victor said towards his son with a calm sigh. "I originally drifted towards my sister's home to check up on you, but I saw Iizuka roaming the residence and needed to see what was going on", the ghost explained before turning towards the vision, watching the tanuki leaving the house through the window he had come from. "Now that you know the truth, you must save Tomoe and your bunny from the Neo-Yaminobu's grasp and kill Tatsumi".
"But how?" Matt asked with a scoff, swinging his arms up in the air as the vision dissipates and fades into darkness. "I can barely see or hear a damn thing thanks to the Neo-Yaminobu Ninja clan", he added, yet a chuckle soon began to escape his father's mouth, with the ghost closing his eyes and shaking his head a couple of times.
"Geez, you can be so naive sometimes, you know that?" Victor replied with a chuckle right before reopening his eyes and gazing directly at his son. "Don't worry about it. Allow me to help you regain what you've lost. My eyes and ears shall become yours, and you will regain the senses that were taken from you", the instant those words left his mouth, John Victor Wilde raises his right hand-paw towards Matt and gently places his hand-paw over his son's eyes, engulfing them into darkness for a moment before being submerged in a powerfully bright, white light.
And right as the bright, white light fades away, the fox found himself back inside of the basement level of Bellwether Enterprises. But even if he found himself in the basement level, there were a few things that surprised him. One, he was able to see out of both eyes with crystal clarity. Two, he was able to hear every faint sound in the basement level with just as much clarity. Lastly, from what he can tell, he felt no night howler influence on any part of his body. The spirit of John Victor Wilde had done his job, eliminated the night howler influence, and gave Matt what he had lost.
"My son…" the voice of Victor began within Matt's mind, catching the young assassin by surprise for the slightest of moments. "I know I wasn't there for you after all these years, and I know you'll never forgive me for it…. But I want you to know I am truly, deeply sorry for not being there for you when you needed me the most", the ghost continued to speak, and hearing those words inside of his mind unexpectedly, yet genuinely caught Matt by surprise. "I want you to know that, despite my body being dead, I will continue to watch over you and protect you, no matter the cost".
"Dad…" Matt was completely unsure of what else to say after that. He was honestly at a complete loss of words. Yeah, he may have been upset with the fact his father hadn't been there for him while he was going up and needed him the most. But with the tone his father bore, he knew for certain his words were genuine. And to him, that's all that truly mattered regarding his old man.
"Live on, my son. And godspeed", with those final words leaving Victor's mouth, the spirit of Matt's father faded within the young assassin's mind. Matt couldn't help but give a soft, but very real smile after hearing his father's words. Now he knew the truth behind everything that happened to him, and he now knew for a fact the journal he had read at the residence earlier was a fake.
But above all, he knew what he had to do!
The fox himself started walking towards the elevator and grips the top portion of his sword's sheath, placing his thumb on the guard of the sword. He presses the 'UP' button on the control panel on the left side of the elevator entrance and waited for the elevator itself to arrive. The wait didn't take long, for less than ten seconds later, the twin doors slide to the left and right sides of the wall respectively and allow the vulpine to enter the elevator. He presses the fourth floor button on the elevator control panel inside and turns his attention towards the front, watching the elevator doors close and feeling the conveyor lift him upwards.
The wait from the basement level to the fourth floor didn't last very long for the vulpine himself, because roughly about fifteen to twenty seconds later, the elevator stops on the fourth floor and the two metallic doors slide to the left and side respectively. With the fourth floor now revealed to the vulpine, the fox walks out of the elevator and began walking along the halls in silence. He followed the signs leading to the courtyard area on the fourth floor, noticing the sign where the designated area was located about fifty meters in front of him. The tod ignored the glass walls depicting the laboratories, along with the offices on the same level.
But there was one office on the left side of the hall that suddenly caught his eye, however, and the door leading to the said office was wide open. Yet it wasn't necessarily the fact the door itself was open, but the fact an object that glistened from the reflection of the natural outdoor light. Usually, he would merely shrug it off and continue about with his assignment. But for some odd reason, the fox felt drawn towards the object resting on the desk in the office, compelled to see the contents that lay within.
With this thought in mind, the vulpine walks into the office and made his way directly towards the desk. His hand-paws grab a hold of the journal and turns it nearly a hundred eighty degrees counter-clockwise. But as soon as his eyes gaze upon the cover of the journal, they widen upon seeing the name of the journal, along with the name of its presumed owner.
"John Bellwether…" Matt thought within his mind, moving his left hand-paw from his sheathed sword to the book itself. He slowly traces his left index finger from the top right corner of the cover to the bottom left curiously, but moves his left hand-paw towards the right edge of the cover itself shortly after. "This must be his diary… but why would he leave it here out in the open?" the vulpine wondered softly. Curious as he was, the tod carefully opens the journal and began to read the contents of the journal that laid within.