Hey guys Price here and welcome to Chapter 4 of Wonder Bunny: Lance's Story! I hope you guys have been excited for this, because I sure have. It'll probably be around similar length or shorter than last Chapter, so I can tell the plot without dragging on too long. I wish I could make these Chapters longer, but I don't know enough about the era to accurately drag on like normal. Plus they tend to work out at their own lengths, so that's also cool. This Chapter was originally gonna contain the second flashback, but I need to do a bit more research on what that all smells like and stuff before I can. I will write that Chapter, though, don't worry. Maybe if there's ever a scene with a burning body, I'll include it. I will make a few references to it, though, so don't worry. Also, last Chapter teased a little minor character thing for Lance and Nick, but I won't sy what it is. Anyway, that's enough of that, I think it's time to get...onto the story!
Lance jerked as he was brought back from his memories, clutching his head and wincing in an odd mix of pain and horror. He swallowed and shook his head, looking around to see if any time had passed. He let out a quiet sigh of relief when he saw that probably no more than a few seconds to a minute had passed, then made to resume walking.
"Sir, are you okay?" Lance blinked and turned, surprised to see Private Stone staring at him. He was pretty sure she'd said she wasn't coming to town.
"What are you doing here?" The Todd asked irritably, Private Stone blinking at his tone.
"Well, sir, I reconsidered my choice, and decided that I could use a drink. A stiffy, if that's not too odd." Lance managed to keep himself from flushing at her terminology, but let out a small cough.
"Sure thing. Maybe not refer to it as a stiffy, though." He said, the Vixen blinking in confusion. She was silent for a moment before realization hit her, and she flushed.
"Oh." She said quietly, Lance chuckling.
"Yeah. Now come on, I know a place that won't care about your sex. Or anything else, if you catch my drift. Long as you pay and keep it quiet, that is." Lance said, Private Stone narrowing her eyes in indecision even as she began to walk alongside him.
"I can't tell if you're referring to mating or who you choose to mate with." She finally said, Lance glancing at her.
"Both. Safe haven, if you will, and you will not disrupt that haven. It's the only place I trust to get a drink without getting in a fight at, and I'd rather not change that." Lance said, Private Stone frowning but not arguing. He was grateful for that, at least. Their silence didn't last long, however.
"How do you feel about the...others?" She asked, Lance arching an eyebrow in curiosity. "You know, the ones who choose to mate with their own sex."
"Personally, as long as it doesn't disrupt me I couldn't care less. It's of no concern to me, so why fuss over it?" Lance responded, Private Stone blinking in surprise at his answer.
"That's...awfully forward thinking of you, sir." She remarked aster a moment, Lance rolling his eyes.
"Yes, well, until we're back at base, drop the 'sir' if it ain't too much trouble. My name is Lance." He said, Private Stone frowning.
"But you're still in uniform." She pointed out, Lance sighing as he stopped, turning to her with annoyance clear in his expression. He glanced around, then remained silent for a long moment as he considered a response.
"Yes, well, I can see that. Last I checked, though, I don't have another outfit. So it's not like I can get out of uniform, unless you'd rather see me naked." Lance said, Private Stone arching an eyebrow in intrigue.
"Perhaps save it for this bar you were talking about, si-er, Lance." She said, smiling mischieviously for a brief moment.
"Alright, that's better. So what can I call you?" Lance asked, choosing to ignore her offer for the moment.
"Private Laura Stone, at your service." The Vixen said, Lance locking up as his pupils dilated and his heartrate increased.
"I'll hate you forever!"
Lance took a step back as he shook his head, clutching it as he stifled an anguished cry. Remembering what his last words to his sister were only served to trigger the worst part of his memories, however, and he grit his teeth as he tried to force them away.
Private Sto-no, Laura, stared at him in shock, unsure how to react to his sudden change. She opened her muzzle, then hesitated. Lance managed to recover, though, and saved her from a potentially embarrassing attempt to help.
"Ugh, I need a freaking drink." Lance muttered, rubbing his head and shaking it. He turned to walk away. Then paused when he didn't hear Laura following him. "You coming?" He asked as he turned, the Vixen looking extremely confused.
"Wait, what just happened?" She asked, Lance arching an eyebrow.
"Well, that's...a bit of a personal story. If you're lucky, and get me drunk enough to tell you before I pass out, you'll get to hear it. Or at least a shortened version of it, followed by a lot of irritability. I'm very cracky when I'm drunk, I've discovered." Lance said, sending an incredibly obvious false smile at her before turning and walking away. Laura hesitated for a moment, then shrugged to herslef and followed. What did she have to lose, anyway?
Lance stepped through the door and made his way to the far section, Laura right behind him, and sat down on one of the stools. The bartender approached.
"What'll it be?" The Coyote asked, Lance glancing at Laura.
"I'll have a simple whiskey to start off. One of the weaker ones." Lance answered, the Coyote nodding as he turned to walk away. Lance cleared his throat, the Coyote turning. "You're forgetting somebody." Lance said, the Coyote glancing at Laura.
"Ah, my mistake. I wasn't sure if she was a customer or a-"
"I wouldn't finish that if I were you, Agil." Lance interrupted, knowing full well where that line of dialogue was going. The Coyote grunted, then turned to Laura.
"Same as him, but stronger." Laura said, the Coyote and Lance both arching an eyebrow at her.
"The stronger stuff isn't exactly something I'd recommend for a-"
"If you say female I will hit you." Laura warned, Lance glancing at the Coyote. He shrugged when the larger Canid returned his glance, indicating he wasn't going to reprimand her. He grunted, then turned and walked over to where the drinks were.
"Would you seriously hit him?" Lance asked, Laura arching an eyebrow at him.
"Do you think I wouldn't?" She asked, Lance pausing as he considered his answer.
"Probably." He finally answered, Laura chuckling. The Coyote bartender set their drinks down, both Foxes tossing them back casually and simultaneously. They looked at each other. "Are you a betting mammal, Laura?"
"Not normally, but I suppose I might be interested in hearing your proposition." The Vixen answered, smirking at him. Lance grinned.
"Alright, if I can outdrink you, I wanna hear why you joined up." Lance said, Laura blinking.
"Is that it?" She asked, clearly expecting Lance to propose something far more risque.
"And if you win you can ask me anything." The Todd finished, Laura arching an eyebrow in obvious interest.
"...Anything?" She asked, Lance nodding.
"Anything." He confirmed, Laura turning back to the bar as she mulled her decision over. She looked up at the bartender.
"Make it a fifty special, both of us. If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it right." She said, Lance blinking. Sure, he'd drank a few times, but he'd never drank something so strong before.
He was starting to realize that challenging the clearly confident Vixen may have been a mistake. But, then again, it was still day. He had a few hours before anybody came looking for him, assuming they even bothered. He wasn't expected anywhere anytime soon, so it was unlikely.
As the new drinks were set down, Lance reached for his. He was stopped by Laura, who got his attention with a concerned look.
"What?" He asked, not liking the look she was giving him.
"You do know what's in a special, right?" She asked, Lance glancing at his drink. He arched an eyebrow at her, silently asking a question. "Oh you know, fifty proof whiskey, bit of honey. Nothing major."
"You actually had me going there, you know that?" Lance asked with a chuckle, Laura chuckling as well. He made to pick up his drink, only to be stopped again.
"Ah, ah, ah, Lance, there's a specific way I do my challenges. Pick up your glass, but don't move it closer than hold you idly hold it." Laura said, Lance doing as she ordered. She picked hers up as well, doing the same. She brought her arm around and looped it around his at the elbow, Lance gaining a rather vague idea of what she normally did with these things. "Now, go slow. Where I'm from, we don't toss them back. Savor it." She said, both of them slowly raising their glasses and just as slowly tilting them back. They stared at each other, Lance because he wanted to see just how resiliant Laura was, and Laura because she wanted to see if he would flinch at the taste.
Lance grimaced when the last of his glass was emptied, but didn't otherwise react.
"Well, the honey certainly helps." Lance remarked, the two of them unwinding themselves and setting the glasses down.
"Well, that's interesting to hear." Laura said, Lance blinking in obvious confusion. "Not heard that before. Mammals usually complain about how strong the drink is instead of mention the honey." She explained, Lance letting out a small 'ah' of understanding.
"Well, I don't think I've ever been called 'usual' before. Believe it or not, I'm usually rather quiet and keep to myself." Lance said, Laura chuckling even as she snapped her digits and pointed to their drinks, indicating another round. "Could we maybe not loop arms? It's uncomfortable."
"Well, are you giving up?" Laura asked, Lance letting out a small growl out annoyance.
"No, I just prefer to be comfortable when there are stakes involved. Part of that is being able to control my own arm more than looping them like that allows." Lance answered, Laura huffing but allowing it as they raised their glasses.
Time passed, though how much Lance couldn't tell, before he decided to concede. He was not ready for something as strong as the drink Laura had requested. His vision was already starting to haze a bit, which usually took a lot longer. He'd been blessed with being able to go a gallon or two before he got affected, at least with the stuff he usually drank.
With what he was drinking now, a quick glance at Laura confirmed that she had done this challenge a lot more than somebody her age should have. He glanced at the window, blinking when he saw it was still light out.
"Well, I suppose I should ask you that question now, before you pass out." Laura said, placing her elbow on the counter and her head in her paw.
"Go 'head." Lance said, Laura leaning forward slightly and grinning at him.
"Does this place have an upstairs?" She asked, Lance blinking in surprise at the question. Was she actually...? A glance at her eyes confirmed that, yes, she was asking what he thought she was. He sighed.
Lance opened his muzzle to answer, then paused when he saw a group of three male Wolves approaching with clearly deceptive appearances of casualness. He groaned internally, knowing full well what was about to happen.
'Three...two...one.' And right on cue, the lead Wolf leaned against the bar behind Laura his eyes not so subtlely focused on her rear from where she was leaning over slightly. Lance's eyes flicked towards the Wolf and Laura, arched an eyebrow, then rolled her eyes. He gave a tiny, almost imperceptible shake of his head.
"I got this." He whispered, standing with a groan and pretending to stretch. "Well, I better go. The Captain said he wanted to see me by seven, and it appears to be getting close to that time right about now. I'll see you back at base, Laura." He said, moving to walk off as if he was really off to leave. He walked only about seven steps before he stopped and leaned against the wall, waiting for his cue.
"Hey there, I couldn't help but see you looked a little lonely. Mind if I join you?" The lead Wolf asked, Laura turning as if she was surprised to find out he was there.
"Oh, sorry, no. I'm expecting somebody soon, actually. The Lieutenant, who just left, was just here when I came in. A few friends of mine will be here in only a few minutes." Laura said, the Wolf frowning at that.
"Well, how about I keep you company until then, yeah?" He asked, Lance admiring how quickly he had recovered from the rather obvious brush.
"Like I said, I'll be fine without you. You don't look too interesting anyway." Laura said, turning back to the bar. The Wolf stood there, a shocked expression on his face. He clearly wasn't used to being refused, or at least not so rudely. Lance let out a quiet sigh and began his approach as a snarl crossed the Wolf's muzzle and his paw came up.
Laura didn't react to the movement, showing further dismissal. As the paw came down, it suddenly stopped as Lance's paw gripped his wrist. He turned his head in surprise.
"If I release your paw, and you continue on the path you were on, I will shatter your shoulder. Do I make myself clear?" Lance asked warningly, turning his head slightly to glare at the Wolf. The snarl returned, deeper this time.
"Oh yeah? And you expect me to believe you're a threat?" He asked, jerking his paw with a grin. That grin faltered when his paw didn't budge, Laura actually turning in surprise at the lack of movement despite the rather obvious attempt. Lance sighed.
"No, I suppose you wouldn't. After all, I'm just a lonely little Fox, isn't that right?" He asked mockingly, grinning at the sound of rushing pawsteps behind him. He sidestepped and brought his arm back, catching the charging Wolf across the chest dead center with his elbow. The cracking sound of a rib breaking filled the whole room, silence following the sound as the Wolf fell to the ground. Lance tightened his grip of the lead Wolf's wrist, the larger Canid grimacing in pain. Another crack filled the room as his wrist finally gave, the Wolf screaming in pain.
Lance rolled his eyes and yanked on the wrist, pulling the Wolf away from the bar and turning, tripping him up with a leg sweep. The Wolf's head slammed against the wall with a loud thud.
"That Todd is good with his paws." Somebody muttered, Lance ignoring it as gasps filled the room, followed by a familiar clicking sound.
"Of course." Lance muttered, glancing at Laura. She extended a digit half way.
'Half a foot. That's manageable.' Lance thought with a faint grin.
"You've messed with the wrong Wolves, Fox. And now you paw." The last Wolf said, Lance scoffing.
"Oh, so scary. Please don't kill me." He said mockingly, hearing a growl escape the Wolf at his words.
Lance turned suddenly and kocked the gun aside, the gun firing and putting a hole in the wall. Lance gripped his wrist, keeping it to the side and raising it towards the roof. He kept a grip of the Wolf's other wrist as he brought his knee up between the Canid's legs as hard as he could muster. The Wolf yelped and reflexively hunched up, Lanc edropping his knee and bringing his other up just as hard and into the Wolf's muzzle. The Wolf's head jerked back as he fell to the ground, unconscious, and Lance turned to Laura.
"Well, that was a fight." The Vixen remarked with an arched eyebrow. Lance approached her, extending his paw.
"To answer your earlier question, Laura, yes. There is an upstairs." He said, the Vixen blinking in surprise. She grinned and took his offered paw as Lance turned his head towards the annoyed bartender. "Sorry about the damage, Agil. I tried to keep it clean." He apologized, the Coyote waving him off. Lance wasn't sure if he didn't care about it or he was just too pissed to respond with words, but he would take it. He turned and began to walk, expecting a rather interesting night to be in order.
Little did he know that he was right to expect an interesting night, though not in the way he imagined.
And that does it for Chapter 4 of Wonder Bunny: Lance's Story! I hope you guys liked it, as well as the small trigger scene when Laura told Lance her name. No, I didn't know what Lance's sister was named until I started writing last Chapter, I swear. Judith surprised me with that just as much as it may have surprised you. I hope I didn't do the trigger scene wrong and offend people who actually know about that stuff, though. If so, then please do tell me how to do it better because I would appreciate it. So yeah, I know the bar scene ended a bit differently in the film, but too be honest, Lance is not Charlie. He is much more skilled than he is, and also more willing to kill. Ya don't make Lieutenant without killing at least one person, I imagine. I don't know, I've never been in the military. Again, if I'm wrong, tell me. I'll correct myself in a future Author's Note or something. Also, quick notice to Judith for when you read this, Lance is a skilled shooter, but he is much more skilled with a pistol like the 1911 than with any kind of rifle. It stems from his skills with close quarters combat and the need to keep his weapon(s) close to him. A pistol is much easier to do that with, and also easier to use in close quarters. Plus I imagine it's easier to train with. Anyway, this is getting long enough, I will see you guys...next update. Word Count: 3,189