"We still have room for one more!" the bombastic rabbit game host said. "Who wants to step up and test their water gun skills?"
"C'mon, Gid," Travis elbowed him. "Give it a try."
Gideon had not yet taken part in any of the carnival games. He had been waiting around, angrily, for Judy. A chance to do...something.
"Alright, fine," the young tod said, and strode unenthusiastically to the remaining station.
Sharla, and the rest of the Wilmut family (her brother Clayton and their adopted little sister rose), were his competitors, along with the gopher-nerd Brian.
Clutching the cold metal of the water gun, he looked over at the others with a snear. But they paid him no mind, all focused on the targets.
"Ready...Set...Go!"
They all began shooting. Gideon's water beam missed at first, but he quickly realigned it to hit. The marker was moving to the bell.
Ding - Ding - Ding - Ding - Ding.
Gideon came in fourth.
"Goddammit!" The fox pounded the wooden counter with his fist.
He had gone into the game just intending to kill time, but he still hated losing. Stupid Travis.
He turned to see the Wilmut siblings jumping up and down: Sharla and Clayton had come in first and second. That meant seven tickets for Sharla and five for Clayton.
Gideon disengaged with a huff and walked over back to the weasel, leaning back against the stand and folding his arms angrily.
He watched as the proprietor handed the happy sheep their tickets.
"Stupid game," Gideon spat.
"C'mon, Gid. You were shootin way better than any of them, you should of won!"
The fox just glared. Their mirth was salt in the wound. Chattering excitedly amongst themselves with their collective bounty, they walked past them into an alley way.
Gideon did not know if what Travis said was true, but he would take his tickets back anyway.
He tapped Travis' arm and nodded at him to follow.
He began his angry march. He could kill two birds with one stone: get his rightful tickets and put some prey in their place.
"Hey!" Gideon yelled at the pack of excited prey. "I was supposed to win that water gun game. Hand over your tickets!"
Sharla looked over innocently, "What are you talking about, Gideon?"
The angry fox was eager to clarify, stepping close. "Gimme your tickets right now, or I'm gonna kick your meek little sheep butt!" He ended it with a degrading push to her black forehead.
"Ow! Cut it out, Gideon."
"Baaaah! Baaah! What are you gonna do, cry?" He snatched the tickets from her.
"Hey!" An unexpected voice from behind the path they had just walked, Gideon turned.
It was Judy Hopps, still in the stupid police costume. Even better. Maybe he could kill three birds.
"You heard her!" she said. "Cut it out!"
That Politically Correct Hollywool bullshit had really got to her head.
"Nice costume, loser. What crazy world are you living in where you think a bunny could be a cop?" He advanced with a husky stride as he spoke. She stayed in place.
"Kindly return my friends tickets," she said plainly, extending a paw.
"Come and get 'em!" Gideon taunted, patting his chest. "But watch out, cuz I'm a fox! And just like you said in your dumb little stage prey, us predators used to EAT PREY! And that killer instinct is still in our d'na."
"Uhhh...I'm pretty much sure it's pronounced Dee-En-Ay," Travis corrected.
The fox angrily swatted him away. "Don't tell me what I know, Travis."
The rabbit took a small step forward. "You don't scare me, Gideon."
A rabbit, talking to fox like that. Unthinkable in the old world. In a surge of rage, he pushed her down.
Justice restored.
She hit the dirt. The others scurried and ran.
"You scared now?" he said, walking over, very satisfied with himself.
Travis laughed, "Look at her nose twitch, she is scared!"
He was right! Gideon was riding high. "Cry little baby bunny! Cry! C-"
In a blurr, a strong rabbit foot smacked his jaw. He staggered back.
The fox was disoriented, stunned, but only for a moment.
She had kicked him hard, right in the fang. Was he...yes, the salty taste of blood.
How dare she. She was not going to win this. She was not even going to tie. Gideon Grey never settled for a draw.
And he would certainly not start for a flat tooth.
"Awwww, you don't know when to quit, do ya?" His words smoldered.
He protracted his claws, the first time had ever done so in a fight.
The scared little bunny yelped. She had had her half-second of fun. He was going to send a stark message. With a growl straight from the soul of his ancestors, he leaned in and swung his paw at her face.
The bunny closed her eyes tight. He heard Rose yelp in shock as his nails passed over her flesh.
Eyes still closed, she put her paw on her cheek, and then opened them. She saw the blood on her fingers, and let out a small, pathetic gasp. Feeble creature. Gideon pushed her little face into the dirt, the ground over which his ancestors once reigned, before spineless King Afolabi.
It was how the world was, how it should have been. The predator and prey had forgotten their rightful places, but Gideon had not. "I want to remember this moment the next time you think you will ever be anything more than just a stupid, carrot-farming dumb bunny!"
He gave her face one last humilating shove into the dirt, punctuating his point, before rising.
Turning to Travis, the weasel was already offering him a high five. Rabbit blood still on his palm, he gladly obliged. They walked away together, their minds wringing with the euphoric hubris of the past.