Alright here comes the fifth installment of A Father Figure, Hooray! *confetti*
In this chapter it will be all Jack until he walks onto the C130. The next chapter and perhaps the following after will be only Vivian and Nick as they go through the changes in life provided by Jack.
Also! I am shifting the locations of the apartment building and Sparrowtail Industires headquarters as well as the school (not the university) to Downtown, changes in other chapters will be made when I get a new laptop as I am currently working on my tablet and editing is a pain in the ass on it.
In this chapter I breiefly mention Zootopia's 13 districts. Every district is an actual district except for one. I subbed it for the Polar Strait District because I always wondered why they didn't have an actual forest district, so I created one. More details given in the story.
In this chapter Jack returns to a home he hasn't been to in at least a year. This home is in the Deciduous District isolated from the city, it's literally John Wick's house just in the forest, and all the white in the house is darker grey instead, the wood floors and cabinets are darker shades and the outside is painted a forest green with bark brown and wood and stone accents, also there's a large covered front porch. The backyard is medium sized due to a river running through look and you'll see rapids supplied by the waterfall behind his house to the left in the backyard.
All chapters I will try to keep on the 8,000 to 10,000 words range, max I will go is 12,000 and the least I will go is 6,000.
Some of you may be wondering why that if David Badgerton is voiced by Hugh Jackman then why isn't his name Logan and why isn't he a wolverine, and the answer is because that's just to cliché. Why do I mention it? Read and find out. Also I'm changing his earlier age to forty instead of forty five.
Now let's get started.
Chapter Three: Old Freinds Give The Best Advice, Part One
Jack shut the door to the Wilde's hopefully soon to be ex-home and took a deep breath. Once he finished he looked at the handkerchief that was tied to his wrist and smiled, and for the first time in years he expressed something, emotions. When around the little one he filtered and controlled his emotions none, though some weren't through lack of trying to. He let the kit get to him both willingly and a little unwillingly, and something told him there wasn't any taking it back. Not that he wanted to, no he was certain the little one would stay in his thoughts; and Vivian too. He actually felt happy helping them and being around them, and after repressing and practically losing his emotions it confused him. But now wasn't the time to go sifting through emotions and what not, he maybe could try that once he got back from Afuristan...well, if he got back.
Jack wasn't a stranger to the fact that there was a chance that he could die over there, and quite frankly it didn't bother him one bit. He had no one, no one would mourn his lose; hell, they'd probably just bury him in the sand rather than waste the effort of bringing him home. At this thought he decided it didn't feel right to call Zootopia home, it just didn't fit, this place hadn't given him any favors, no good memories. "You know what? They can bury me in the sand, It's not like I'd be missed at all here, or there." After finished that thought he frowned, because Nicholas would miss him, and maybe Vivian too. In that moment a look of sheer determination filtered across his face and he made a vow "I WILL make it back alive, for Nicholas' sake. He gave me this for a reason, and it'd be like I was just throwing it and him away. His father already did that, I won't do the same. I'll be his friend, and be there when he needs me...huh, maybe I could be sort of a father figure to him. There's certain things his mother can't teach him, and maybe some advice from a tod like me might just help him in life, keep him from making the mistakes that I have. I will make it back alive, because at this point I feel like I have to."
xxx
Jack waited until he was out of Happytown before pulling his phone from his pockets, he had some calls to make. Flipping through his contacts he got to who he was looking for and dialed the number, as he talked on the phone he started walking back home and his expressions went to the default neutralness they usually had. The mammal picked up on the third ring. "Hey Jack, I take it your calling about the field test of those items I sent you?" ...
"Hey Demetri, yeah I'm calling about the tests and something else actually, something important." ...
"Well well color me surprised! You're actually calling me about something other than the company!? I'm marking this on the calendar for sure!" ...
"Really Demetri? Come on be serious." ...
"Your asking me to be serious!? Did you just here what you just said!? Jack you NEVER call to talk about anything else but business, you only come here if absolutely necessary, and you never go out! Jack you're like a freaking machine! Now you want to talk to me about something other than work!? Jack you got to understand how surprising this is for me, you know the last time you actually talked to me? And I mean REALLY talked to me? Two years ago. Jack I'm worried about you, you got to know that."
"Yeah I know Demetri, I know. I have been running like a machine for a while, I've practically become a recluse, retracted into myslef. Something that happened today made be realize that and trust me once I get back from Afuristan I think it's time I actually... I think it's time I actually start living." ...
"Jack you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that, I've hated watching you be like this. But we're getting off topic and I know you're short for time so let get to the reason you really called, business first."...
"alright boss alright. Well the contacts worked well, didn't have to wear sunglasses at all today. You're clear to move it to testing on mammals that actually need to wear contacts, if all goes well mammals won't need to spend a forutune on glasses anymore. The new processing cards worked spectacular as well, stock store bought laptop worked like it was coustom built, but I think further tests are required and I'll leave that bit in your paws. Finally the biometric realese for the holsters are a bust, complete failure on all levels, so back to the drawing board with that one."
"Ok, two out of three ain't bad. I'll have Technologies begin further testing on the processing cards immediately. MT division won't be happy though, they thought they had it right this time, preliminary tests looked promising and it worked well in the testing facility. The dimming contacts will have to wait a bit, there a smaller bid compared to the other two and other projects we got going currently in the medical field." ...
"noted Demetri, and I agree about the contacts. They were useful but we're dealing with a small market for them, nows not the time." ...
"glad you agree Jack, now I'll just deal with all of this...and everything else...gods I wish I had another secretary this sifting through all of this plus all the small things is maddening! Why did Cheryl have to our Ibexas office! why!" ...
*chuckles "you know why Demetri her husband got a great job offer down there. A job you just don't refuse! And... I actually have a potential replacement for you."
"...well go on then don't keep me in suspense!" ...
"alright Demetri calm down my friend. Some time in the next few days a Vixen by the name of Vivian Wilde may apply there at the headquarters, she'll be asking for the secretary postion. She has prior experience and my personal recommendation Demetri, so I wholly expect her to be hired. Do a formal interview but she's to get the job regardless. Non-negotiable." ...
"...well damn Jack, ok. If you're the one vouching for her yeah she's good as hired so no need to go all threatening mode on me. I'll also do the interview for sure, I'll probably just chat with her and maybe ask a few general questions, and I'll even do it same day. So anything else Jack or was that it?" ...
"... There is one more thing, she has a son. A little kit named Nicholas. Right now he's in the public schools system of Zootopia and to say it's rough to foxes may just be an understatement, I directed Vivian to apply her son at Paragon Grove. I want you to endorse Nicholas and sponsor him."
"I...I'm confused. Jack what the hell is going on? You want me to hire a vixen you've never told me about that I'm also not sure what your relationship with her is and the fact that as you just said you've been living like a recluse makes it damn hard to meet a girl, ok I'll do it because she has your recommendation. But endorsing her kit? Jack you're not making much sense right now, I mean I'll do it for you of course but why? You interested in getting with this vixen or something? Because this would be one elaborate plan just to get into her pants and.." Demetri wasn't aloud to continue as the neutralness of Jack faded and rage took its place and he snarled out in a menacing tone "DEMETRI! You have better silence yourself NOW, or I may just do something I may actually regret. Do NOT speak of something or infer anything if you don't know the cause as you've just said. I WOULD NOT and will NEVER do ANYTHING like that to ANY mammal, especially not one like HER! AM. I. CLEAR!?" When silence was his answer on the other end he continued, fading his expression back to neutral and continuing on his way.
"Good Demetri. To answer your questions no I am not interested in persuing her, even if I wanted to the second she learns more about me is the second she's gone and I'm left even more alone than I was before, I'm not doing that to myself, I have enough heartbreak as it is. The reason I am doing this is the fact that long ago I promised myself that if I could save just one kit from living a life like mine I would do anything in my power to do so. Nicholas is that kit Demetri, and his mother doesn't deserve the cards shes been dealt either. That's all I'll tell you for now my friend, now I have to go. I have a few more calls to make and I have to make a drive to my home in the Deciduous District." ...
"Alright my friend, and I'm sorry. I never meant to infer that. I will do as you ask and endorse Nicholas, I'll bring it up with Ms. Wilde whenever she arrives. Goodbye old friend, and make sure you make it back here in one piece." At that Jack ended the call.
His other two calls were much quicker and went more smoothly. The dean at Sahara University said Vivian would be accepted into the college as soon as she applied and he would keep an eye on her personally. Jack had met the dean some years ago when he decided he should get some degrees and a formal education. He currently had six degrees and his G.E.D thanks to the college and the deans help in making sure he wasn't kicked out, he would have seven degrees but the dean messed up and put him in the wrong program, thus owing him a favor. His degrees were in: Criminal Justice, Phycology, Sociology, Engineering, Technologies, Mammal Anatomy, and Chemistry. The call regarding Pargon Grove was only slightly more complicated. It required him using some of his influence to nudge certain mammals and get him connected to the superintendent of the school. Once he told the mammal who he was he established that he was sponsoring a kit that would possibly be applying in the future the superintendent had some general questions before ending the call.
By the time his second call ended Jack was back at his apartment building. Walking up to the top floor where he lived Jack walked to his door 16A and unlocked it, opening the door and walking in. To Jack it was considered modest but the truth was that it wasn't the case, to most it would be considered a luxury apartment. The apartment building was originally built to accommodate mammals of all sizes, but when Marcus Oliver took it over he converted most of them to fit medium mammals only. Originally the building was only four stories but when the building was changed to have six floors, the only noticeable difference were the elavators were big enough for ten wolves to fit in, and Jack's apartment. Jack's apartment was originally for an elephant but it was the only one that wasn't changed, making it twice the size for him and have a sizeable loft area that served as his bedroom and master bath. All the furniture and fixtures, counters etc. were fit to a wolf and foxes size making everything seem huge. A large open concept floor with the big kitchen to the right with a large island in the middle, to the left was the living room with a single large couch in front of a coffee table and a 70 inch TV, past both was a large area were Jack trained and to the right was the stairs to the loft and the left the main bathroom, a spare bedroom, and a large closet that stored some of his equipment.
Going up to the loft Jack took off his uniform and put on loose silk training pants and no shirt, he decided he would practice some with his Japense weaponry. After all it would be his last opportunity for awhile. But before he went back down he walked to the full body mirror and observed his many scars, on his left forearm starting at his wrist and going all the way up to his elbow were five claw marks, they were spaced as the wolf that put them there spread his fingers out and went up in a slight wave pattern like a slight and stretched out vertically S. His right shoulder had a very very large bite wound on it and each teeth scar was slightly jagged, the bite encompassing his whole entire shoulder stopping just shy of his neck; it certainly wasn't a claim mark and was caused by a drugged up bear using him as a chew toy. His chest and stomach were a myriad of stab wounds, gunshot wounds, slash wounds, and claw marks; most noctiable being the set of claw marks running from his left hip up to just shy of his right shoulder and four to be exact, caused by a wolf. His back was worse with more scars adorning it, there was a matching set of four claw marks across his back caused by the wolfs brother but running from his right buttock to his left shoulder, this scar took center stage on his back followed by the dozen lash marks in-between his shoulder blades.
Jack just barely had more fur than scars on his chest and back with each scar having full fur in-between them. He had ten gunshot wounds caused by various Medium Mammal rounds like M9mm, M45 ACP, M5.56, M7.62 and several others (he was lucky not to have been shot with any Large Mammal rounds) with six having holes on both sides. He had twelve stab and slash wounds, the slash wounds being of varrying lengths with the longest being eight inches. There were eight slash and four stab, with three of the stab wounds showing on both sides. He also had the one bite large bite wound, and counting the individual claw marks he had thirteen of them. Not counting the twelve lash marks that added up to 36 scars total, and 50 once they were. Jack could safely say that he had more scars than happy memories in his eyes.
The scars led him to a little self reflection. He had to admit that when he was twelve he was a cocky little shit, and he payed for it. He had called himself an "expert" in so many things when he was truly an expert on maybe a quarter of it then, now maybe half. He was TRULY an expert in: Marksmammalship, lockpicking, pickpocketing, disguise, Japanese weaponry, Assault rifles, pawguns, the asp baton, knives, swords, throwing weapons in general. Stealth, infiltration, forgery, emotion suppression and control, 6 different fighting styles, defensive driving, evasive driving, mammal anatomies, criminal justice, Phycology, mammal biologies, chemistry, basic to moderate engineering, ZPD and ZBI criminal databases, layout of Zootopia, and security systems. Fluent in 6 different languages including Spanish, Russian, and Japanese.
Killing a bunch of unaware mammals was easy, and it had only fed Jack's cockiness and over confidence. He quickly relized that when Big had sent him after the Triads in the beginning of his second year. The Triads were looking to put a foothold down in Zootopia so Big had sent him to Hong Kong to curb the problem before it started and kill the mammals wanting to push into Zootopia within the Triads. He had been so cocky he hadn't even packed any sort of vest, and at the end of that three week trip he came back with 7 wounds varying from stab to gunshot and the particular Traid leaders head.
You'd think Jack would have learned his lesson, but he didn't. He truly learned it when a year later Big sent him after the Yakuza. The Yakuza were looking to do the same as the Triads had the year prior so he boarded a private jet to Japan. It took him two months to return and when he did he came back with 20 wounds and the Yakuza leaders head. The reason it took two months is because he got put in a coma for three weeks after his third day there, Big's contacts in Japan were able to recover him but he was barely alive after fighting six...well, six ninjas (he did manage to kill three, though with a grenade). But technically they were specialized Yakuza assasins trained in the art of Ninjutsu, same difference in Jack's eyes, but that fight alone garnered him 13 of the wounds he brought back with him and they were the worst. They were all of his claw wounds.
After that he acknowledged he wasn't as good as he thought he was and was much more careful and did a lot more training. It showed too because he only gained 9 more scars after. This was also around the time that he decided he liked staying at long range, less chance of some mammal getting close with all of their pointy bits. Sure he had come from both trips with high body counts, and even managed to kill the three ninja wolves (though he cheated and blew them up with an RPG) but Jack considered it more parts luck than skill that he did.
He sighing thinking back on that trip to Japan, it had scarred him in more ways than one. The thought of his mental scars wasn't something he was particularly fond of, and neither were the damn pills. They were "happy" pills, Jack suffered from depression. It wasn't very surprising when a doctor told him he was suffering from moderate depression and that he was potentially suicidal four years ago, not at all. But Jack like he did with everything coped, though his current coping mechanism wasn't helping him much, he was an alcoholic. Well more like borderline alcoholic in Jack's mind, alcohol was something that muddled his thoughts and was the closet he could get to forgetting things. So he drank plenty, but he made sure he never got sloshed and could keep most of his wits about him, so he limited himself to three glasses of scotch or bourbon spread out to the most an hour up to three times a day. Though he'd be shelving drinking for the foreseeable future more because of little Nicholas than being a solider.
Sighing Jack went over to his nightstand and grabbed the pill bottle. Then he walked over to his dresser and grabbed the decanter of bourbon and poured a small amount, popped a pill into his mouth and swallowed it, then washed it down with the bourbon. He knew you weren't supposed to drink alcohol while taking these kinds of pills but quite frankly Jack just didn't give a shit. Once he was done he took both the decanter and the pills and promptly walked into his master bath, went to the trash can in there, popped open the lid, and then dumped both into it before closing it and exiting. He was done taking those damn pills, he was done drinking, he would mammal up and deal with his problems once he got back from Afuristan.
Deciding he had wasted enough time moping Jack went back over to his dresser and opened up the top drawer. Once it was open he pulled out shurikens, kunais, two ninjato swords, and one of his kyoketsu-shoges. The whole dresser wasn't filled with a single article of clothing, they all presided in his walk in closet except for his underwear which he kept in a drawer in the master bath. No, this dresser was completely filled with weapons ranging from the Japanese weapons all the way to grenades, flashbangs, and concussions. With pistols and their various attachments, magazines and ammunition as well as, knives, daggers and short swords filling the rest.
Taking the weapons he pulled out Jack exited his bedroom and walked back downstairs. He walked over to the closet he kept his practice and training equipment in and pulled out the three wooden posts he used for throwing weapons practice and a wing chun wooden dummy for martial arts. He spent the next three hours practicing, starting with martial arts for an hour, followed by practicing with the kyoketsu-shoge for an hour, then the swords for half an hour, and finally concluded with the throwing weapons for the final half hour.
Once he had finished putting everything away he went into the kitchen and on instinct poured a glass of bourbon before freezing and cringing. Letting out a heavy sigh Jack poured the drink down the drain and threw that bottle in the trash, then pausing and deciding he might as well get rid of the rest, so he spent the next 15 minutes chucking all 30 bottles into trash bags after he poured the contents out. Then he put the bags by the door, they could wait until he got back.
Going back upstairs Jack put on some blue jeans, a brown leather belt, a right hip holster, a three magazine holder above and slightly to the left of his left backpocket, a white undershirt, and a red flannel shirt on top of it sleeves rolled up just past the elbows and left unbuttoned and untucked, he left his ID tags untucked as well. Once he was dressed he went over to his dresser, opened the drawers containg pawguns and browsed his selection trying to pick one to load and holster. He finally settled on a FN FNX 45. Tactical MixWolf (Black/FDE) with a small black reflex sight fixed to it and a FDE colored box suppressor. Jack took the suppressor off and put the suppressor in the last magazine holder slot, then loaded two magazines and placed them into the other two before loading a third into the pawgun and chambering a round before holstering it. Then he proceed to pack a duffel with things he would need.
Once finished he took the duffel and went back downstairs and walked over to the door and put the duffel down, then he looked to his right where three sets of car keys sat on hooks and tried to decide which veichle to take. Jack had a 1972 Dodge Challenger R/T with a black carbon fiber hood and a brushed steel finish, a 1970 Blue Chevelle SS with black stripes instead of white; and a lowered sliver 1971 Ford F100 with black rims, black pinstripes on both sides of the truck where the metal trim would be, and a sleek black cover on the tailgate. All veichles had dark tinted windows and were fitted so foxes and wolves could sit comfortably, they all even had back seats or benches because Jack had them modifed that way if they didn't have them already.
Jack finally settled on one and grabbed the keys for the F100, he hadn't driven it for awhile and for obvious reasons it had much more storage space. Space Jack would need as he was bringing his own gear with him. Jack had gotten permission from the right higher-ups to bring all of his own gear and weapons that he would need, the only thing they would be supplying him with was the uniforms. But to get what he needed Jack needed to drive to his home deep in the Deciduous District, the district was the cities forest region with mountains, creeks, rivers, lakes, and obviously trees, but real ones ranging from towering Red Cedars to Oaks and everything in-between.
The district was his favorite and his house there also his favorite, but it was the main house he stayed at when he was working with Big, and where all of his true stuff was. Jack couldn't pinpoint exactly why he didn't go back there and he hadn't at all since he left Bigs employ, but it didn't matter. It was time the past stayed the past so Jack would be spending much more time there, definitely in the spring and fall if he could manage it, the district was so beautiful those times of year. Jack smiled thinking of the cherry blossom trees he had in the front of the house, imagining them blooming with spring with their delicate, sweet smell in the air. But that led him to think of a certain vixen, Vivian under the underlying musk that all foxes had smelled of cherry blossoms, so sw...Jack shook his head to clear the strange thoughts that had manifested, why he was thinking about that made no sense to him so he banished them. Then added the why to the list of shit he had to figure out when he got back from Afuristan.
Deciding he had wasted enough time Jack pocketed everything and grabbed his duffel bag and walked out the door. Once he exited and had shut the door Jack turned to lock it and froze with the key in the door, seconds ticked by with Jack's face occasionally twitching before he suddenly exclaimed "oh fuck it!" And then re-opened the door. Jack walked briskly back in and went over to the kitchen and opened a drawer and pulled out the box of matches and cigarettes contained inside before pocketing all and re-exiting. Jack wasn't addicted to the things and could easily start and stop with no problems, not to mention he rarely did smoke to start with. But he just decided he would stop drinking and it was already bothering him a little, so the cigarettes would have to do until he got back and he could start fixing himself. He locked the door, pulled out his phone to schedule house keeping here while he was gone, and then went into the car storage area, got in his truck, and started the drive to the Deciduous District.
The Deciduous District from his apartment in Downtown was about a two hour drive without traffic. The district was techinically the closest to the Tri-Burrows and therefore had a line directly to it starting in Podunk, being the forest district it had high traffic from the Tri-Burrows in general as opposed to the city itself. Sure there were lines going directly into the city but depending were you and were you were going dictated what line to take, for instance if coming from Bunnyburrow the best bet would be to take the main line into city center and then take a secondary line to wherever else someone needed to go.
The district itself was isolated from the city. The closest district was the Meadowlands and even then if coming from somewhere like Downtown they would still have to drive all the way the way through the Meadowlands. It of course was quicker by train but that's besides the point. Zootopia has 13 unique districts: Sahara Square, the Canyonlands, Tundratown, Little Rodentia, the Rainforest District, Downtown, Savanah Central, the Meadowlands, the Canals District, the Marshlands, the Nocturnal District, Outback Island, and the Deciduous District. Out of all of the districts the only other district that was isolated was the Nocturnal Distrcit due to the fact that it's underground.
xxx
After two hours Jack finally pulled into the driveway of his forest reigion home. His home was extremely isolated with the nearest neighbor being a mile away and it suited Jack just fine, it was perfect for many reasons like throwing parties, well if he ever threw any. It was the farthest Northwest anyone could go with a towering cliff wall at its back, the literal edge of the city. The house itself was surrounded by a large number of Western Red Cedars amongst other trees but the cedars towered over them all. Jack's house was situated within a large clearing giving him ample yard space.
The house itself Jack had a large paw in. When it was being built Jack found it and bought it in an instant and began making changes and requirements to suite his needs. He added the door requirements, made all of the big glass thick, dimmable, and bulletproof to the point that'd it'd take several 50. Cal rounds just to break it. He darkened the whole paint scheme inside and outside, it was originally supposed to be white exterior with a lot of white interior and Jack had the exterior changed to a forest green with bark brown accents and wood as well as stone covering some exterior walls to make it look less modern, he also changed the trees they were planting by the house to cherry blossoms and added a large covered front porch. Inside Jack made it a mixture of modern and rustic, darking all of the wood flooring and cabinets, made all counter tops smooth concrete, and almost all the paint be a dark shade of gray called ocean storm grey.
Exiting his truck Jack breathed in the scents of the forest and cedars and smiled a little, it may be fall but the scents were still in the air. Jack stretched a little before walking up the steps onto the porch and going to the front door. Jack wouldn't hesitate to admit he was overly cautious and paranoid and this door helped optimize it. It looked wooden but in fact it was 2 inches of titanium with a quarter inch of Ironwood on both sides and had an extremly advanced biometric lock on it.
Jack with his right paw took two fingers pads facing up and brushed it under a black box situated above the door bell and a projection appeared to the left of the box. The projection contained five light blue circles spread out in a slight upside down u. Jack took his right paw and placed a finger in each circle and after a second the circles all turned green. Then Jack turned his paw counter-clockwise in a half rotation and the projections moved with his paw, turning. Once the rotation was over Jack removed his paw as a new projection appeared to scan his eye, leaning forward slightly Jack placed his right eye in front of the projection and it scanned his eye. After a moment a female voice sounded. "Authorization accepted..Welcome home NightOwl." Then with a series of clicks the door unlocked.
Opening the door and walking in Jack looked to his right where a screen was and checked when the last time housekeeping had been out there to tend to his home and noted it said they were there at 5PM. Next to it he also saw a notice blip and clicked on it and a digital note pulled up, "Mister NightOwl, I noticed earlier when I was here cleaning that most of your food in your freezer had gotten massive freezer burn due to a malfunction, I called one of my brothers who's a repair mammal of sorts and he fixed it. He and I then took the liberty of fishing in the river and snagged some salmon and rainbow trout and put them in your freezer. They should last you about a week, well whenever you come back here, anyways this is sort of a thank you in a way. You've done much for me and my family and put my cleaning services and some of my brothers businesses on the map.. So I hope you enjoy them, Clara." Once he was done reading the note his stomach reminded him that he'd actually not eaten dinner yet and reading that there was fresh salmon in his freezer almost made his mouth water. Deciding he would cook up a salmon steak Jack turned away from the screen and then noticed something, he inhaled deeply and his eyes narrowed. It reeked of Badger, male Badger. Someone was there.
Jack slowly drew his pawgun and then slowly screwed on the suppressor before slowly crouching. Jack hunched over slightly and placed his left paw onto the floor, if the badger was close enough he could feel the vibrations of where it moved, something Jack had done to the floors just for an occasion like this. He could judge by the vibrations where they were generally on the first floor, how many were there, and if they were close their exact location. He also slowed his heart rate, closed his eyes and channeled all of his energy into his hearing. Jack felt slight vibrations, and heard the sound of a barstool shifting and ice clinking in a glass. the intruder was in the kitchen and having them self a drink and sitting at the left barstool, it would be their last.
Slowly shifting into a standing position Jack moved silently until he was standing just in front of a wall blocking the kitchen view from the hallway. Jack put the barrel to the wall to where when he fired it would go straight into the mystery mammals brain pan. He slowly began to squeeze the trigger and at the last possible moment a voice he'd thought he'd never hear again called out "Jack. Are you gonna stand at the door all day or are you gonna come great your house guest?"
*Perspective shift*
David Badgerton opened his eyes as his 7am alarm went off. He quickly shut it off, slowly sitting up he looked to his left and smiled at the form still sleeping next to him, his mate and wife Clara. Shortly after he had left Jack in that warehouse all those years ago David had found himself in a bar drinking when he received a tap on the shoulder, and when he turned around and saw her face for the first time the rest was history. 7 years they'd been together and he'd told her everything about his life including Jack, but naturally he kept some details to himself. He'd never understand how the gods or fate worked because two years ago she had came home from work almost frantic and said she swore she not only saw Jack, but was hired by him to tend to a house he owned in the Deciduous District that he had for five years, a house that was just a mile away. Jack, the kit he practically abandoned in that warehouse 7 years ago that'd he'd regretted doing ever since, the kit that when David had come back had burned the warehouse to the ground and disappeared, had been living practically next door to him for five god damn years and he never even knew it.
So he had walked through a mile of woods and just watched the house hoping it was true and sure enough, there Jack was. Jack was sitting on his front porch drinking what looked like whiskey staring at the cherry blossom tree in full bloom in the front yard almost sadly, and David had remembered that Jack's mother had smelled of cherry blossoms according to Jack, and remembering what the date was realized this was the anniversary of Jack's parent's deaths. David almost walked right into the clearing where Jack would see him, but the second he took a step forward and before he could blink Jack was gone from where he was sitting and the door was shut, David was so tempted to go and knock on that door but he was reminded why he had left when Jack re-appeared carrying a duffel bag and a sniper rifle.
Two years after David had left Jack in that warehouse he ran into his old friend Demetri Wolfgang, and they went to a restaurant and talked. Eventually, David told him of Jack and had asked Demetri if he had seen him. Demetri fidgeted a little and then told him no, David knew in that moment he had just been lied to. It took some pressuring but Demetri finally caved and told him everything, how not only did he know Jack but considered him a close personal friend, how Jack had helped him leave the Corleone crime family, how Jack started Sparrowtail Industries, how he had came to the Big mansion and killed three wolves and shot Demetri in the shoulder before asking for Big's help to fight the Prey Supremacy Society, and how Big had agreed only if Jack would become an assassin, and that Jack said yes.
He told him about what happened to Jack in Hong Kong, told him what had happened to Jack in Japan, told him what Jack had turned into. David almost immediately after shakily stood up, thanked Demetri, and gone to his truck and once he was in it, bawled. David cried, yelled, blamed himself for what Jack had become. He had cried for fifteen minutes before he finally calmed down, then he got a little angry. Jack had chosen that life and David didn't force him into it, but then again he certainly didn't help him stay out of it either. David swore he wouldn't approach Jack he just wanted to know where he was and if he was okay, as long as Jack was an assassin David couldn't find it within himself to confront him, to reconnect with him.
After that day he had kept what tabs he could on Jack, having Demetri tell him whatever he could whenever he could but as the years went by apparently Jack just stopped really talking to Demetri and everyone else so the information went dry and the trail went cold. Then his wife today around two in the afternoon sent him a link to something on Furbook and said it was Jack. When David had looked at it, it had shocked him to the core. There Jack was, no fur dye, no color contacts, no fake name, the real Jack Hunter standing there in a Mammalian Marines Special Sniper Division Dress Uniform with officer insignias upon his shoulders. Jack had left Big and had joined the military, it was time to confront him.
David had immediately called Demetri and demanded to know if he had known about it and Demetri was just as suprised at the news and assured David that he had no prior knowledge of it. (But in truth he did he was just afraid how David would take the news so didn't tell him.) David told him to call him immediately if Jack contacted him and sure enough later into the evening he received a call from Demetri. He told David everything that happened within the conversation and it blew him away more than the news that Jack was in the military, then he told him that Jack would be going to his home in the Deciduous District.
David had already been inside the house when he got that call. Clara had called him around five and had said that she was at Jack's house and his freezer malfunctioned and ruined most of his food. David was handy at repairing stuff so he had gone over there and was let in by his wife after she showed him the security system on steriods he had. He fixed the freezer and then his eyes had caught two fishing poles sitting in a corner by one of the back doors, he loved to fish and it would be doing something for Jack and with his wife so he and her had gone and fished some and brought what they caught inside. Shortly after she had left but he had elected to stay behind on the off chance that Jack showed up, and sure enough he got that call and three hours later there Jack was walking in the front door. He was in the kitchen sitting on a barstool drinking some of Jack's alcohol, just waiting for Jack to come in but after three minutes of nothing he called out "Jack. Are you gonna stand at the door all day or are you gonna come great your house guest?" Then Jack walked in.
*Perspective shift*
Jack was frozen in place, gun still in the same spot, finger still on the trigger. Seven, he hadn't seen David in seven years, Jack hadn't wanted David to see what he had become; and at the same time he didn't go looking for David either. He was tempted to as the years went by but he couldn't bring himself to do it, he had been abandoned again, abandoned by a mammal he thought never would. To say he was conflicted would be a gross understatement, he didn't know of he wanted to walk in and punch David in the face or hug him, or both, or yell, he didn't know what he would do. But he had stood there long enough, he'd figure out what he was gonna do once he was in there.
Jack walked around gun still in paw and into the kitchen and there David was, drinking some of his most expensive scotch. He was wearing a blue checkered shirt and blue jeans, and was equal parts observing him while Jack did the same. David had aged well being 53 now, Jack also noticed the wedding band on his finger and immediately certain questions he had were answered and things snapped into place "That's why his scent is different, son of a... he's MARRIED to Clara what are the odds! Which explains why he's here and how he got in, Clara opened the door. It also explains just who fixed the freezer cause none of her brothers are repair mammals of any sort, it also explains why ONLY salmon and rainbow trout were put in my freezer cause he knows they're my favorite."
Jack voiced just as much. "So that's why your scent is different, Clara's is all intermingled with yours. You know I almost shot you right? Oh and thanks for the fish and fixing my freezer." As he spoke he approached David until he was standing right next to him, David the whole time including when Jack had first walked in had a shocked expression on his face and it only increased when Jack spoke. Jack just starred at David for a few moments before his face started twitching a bit, then he socked David in the face.
David yelped in surprise shot the paw that was on the glass of scotch up to his nose as it started to bleed from the punch. The second the paw left the glass Jack scooped it up and drank its contents before placing his pawgun on the island and grabbing the bottle. He walked over to the opposite counter and screwed the cap back on the bottle of 1816 scotch and placed it back in its place before putting the glass in the dishwasher, then he turned back to the counter and grabbed the roll of paper towels and tossed them to David who caught them one pawed.
Walking back to the island Jack scooped back up his pawgun and took the supressor back off and placed it back in its slot before returning the gun to its holster. After he was done he looked at David and with a slight growl in his voice said "and that's for abandoning me." David more or less snapped. "ABANDONED YOU!? YOU LEFT ME NO CHOICE! I COULDN'T BARE ANOTHER SECOND WATCHING YOU TURN INTO SOEMTHING DARK! A MACHINE! QUIET AND EMOTIONLESS! YOU USED TO HAVE LIGHT IN THOSE EYES OF YOURS JACK! BUT YOU PUT IT OUT YOURSELF! I WATCHED FOR YEARS AS YOU DETERIORATED, AND I TRIED MY DAMNEST TO STOP YOU, TO KEEP AT LEAST SOME LIFE LEFT IN YOU! BUT YOU JUST PUSHED ME AWAY LIKE YOU'VE DONE TO EVERYONE ELSE! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT WAS TO SEE SOMEONE WHO'S LIKE A SON TO ME DO THAT TO THEMESLVES!? I COULDN'T TAKE IT!"
Jack slammed his paws onto the island and roared back "I WAS A CHILD! A KIT! A FUCKING KIT AND YOU JUST LEFT! DID YOU EVEN LOOK FOR ME AFTER!? AND DON'T YOU SEE THAT I HAD NO CHOICE!? IF BOGO HAD CALLED ME THAT DAY AND SAID HEY GOOD NEWS, THE PREY SUPREMACY SOCIETY HAS BEEN BRANDED A TERROIRST ORGANIZATION THE ZOOTOPIA DEFENSE FORCE IS MOBILIZING I WOULD HAVE TURNED STRAIGHT AROUND AND CAME BACK! BUT YOU STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN GONE! NO ONE WAS FIGHTING THEM, NO ONE WAS GOINIG TO FIGHT THEM! I! HAD! NO! CHOICE! SOMONE HAD TO BARE THE BURDEN, TO FIGHT THEM SO OTHERS WOULDN'T HAVE TO! SO WHY NOT ME!?"
"YOU JUST SAID IT JACK! YOU WERE A FUCKING KIT! YOU WERE ONLY 12! AND I DID LOOK FOR YOU! FOR YEARS! I LOOKED FOR YOU FOR THREE YEARS! AND BEFORE THAT I WENT BACK TO THE WAREHOUSE TO RECONICLE JUST TO FIND YOU GONE AND IT BURNED TO THE GROUND! FOR ALL I KNEW YOU COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD! THEN I RUN INTO DEMETRI AND WHAT DOES HE TELL ME!? THAT YOU WALTZED INTO THE FUCKING CORLEONE MANISION AND KILLED THREE WOVLES BEFORE ASKING HIM FOR HELP! AND THEN HE MADE YOU A OFFER THAT HE WOULD ONLY IF YOU BECAME HIS ASSASSIN AND YOU SAID YES!"
"YES I DID! I BECAME AN ASSASSIN FOR GEROLD CORLEONE HIM FUCKING SELF! I KILLED TRAIDS, YAKUZA, BRATVA, CARTELS, GANGBANGERS, DOPE AND NIP PUSHERS, DRUG SMUGGLERS, KITNAPPERS, PEDOPHILES, RAPISTS, PSS MEMEBERS, AND EVEN A FUCKING SERIAL KILLER! FROM TWELVE TO EIGHTEEN I KILLED 600 MAMMALS AND I WOULDN'T HESITATE TO DO IT AGAIN AND I DON'T REGRET KILLING A SINGLE FUCKING ONE! BUT I MAY HAVE NEVER HAD TO KILL ALL THOSE OTHER MAMMALS IF YOU HADN'T LEFT! YOU COULD HAVE SAVED ME FROM DOING SOMETHING INCREDIBLY STUPID! SAVED ME FROM BECOMING WHAT I BECAME! BUT NO YOU LEFT!...and I was left to fend for myself all over again...so I did what I had to, to survive. By doing the only thing I felt I knew how to do...and in the end I practically wiped out the Prey Supremcay Society, I got what I wanted but at the cost of myself...so alone I had to figure out just what the fuck to do next...and now here we are, I'm Second Lieutenant Jack Hunter, ex-assassin turned solider. Killing mammals that I'm told to kill just told by another mammal, another snake in a suit... You don't think I know just what the fuck I'm like!? I am that mammal!...So...here we are."
At this point both David and Jack had tears tracking down their faces David more so than Jack. For David it was just like the day he abandoned Jack, a huge argument that apparently cost Jack everything he had left with him leaving. Abandoning Jack wasn't something he was going to do again. "Jack I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. I shouldn't have just left like that! You're right! And just maybe if I had been there I could have stopped you from becoming what you did! I can't forgive myself for what I did and I don't expect you to either. I'm sorry." At this point the guilt caused David to break down and he began openly crying. Jack had, had enough and walked back around and gave David a hug and said "I know David I know, and I'm sorry to. You are right I pushed you and everyone else away, made myself this emotionless machine. I alone am to blame for that, not you."
They stayed hugging for a minute with Jack occasionally patting David on the back so it wasn't to awkward. After that minute the hug was broken by Jack's stomach reminding him that he still hadn't eaten anything since lunch. David ended the hug and chuckled before saying "you forgot to eat again didn't you?" Jack took a few steps back before replying "did I do that? Yes, yes I did." This got David full on laughing and he got out "seriously!? I had to remind you all the time to eat when you were still a kit, haha looks like some things don't change." Jack shook his head and replied "no, no some things don't. Well I probably should make something then, I assume you've eaten so I hope you don't mind."
*chuckles "well look at you being the polite host! And as a matter of fact I may or may not of been here since 5pm so no I haven't eaten either."
"Well then why don't I fix us up some salmon steaks then? Then you can play twenty questions with me so you can catch up with my life."
"Nah-ah I don't think so. You may be the host and this may be your house but I will be cooking for us, I still remember what happened that one time I tried to teach you!"
*laughs "hey! I've gotten better! I bet I could outcook you even!" It was good to see Jack being almost playful to David and he could have sworn he saw Jack's eyes light up again even if but for a moment. They bantered back and forth for a few minutes before Jack finally conceded and let David cook. They kept general chat up while the food cooked and when it was done they took a seat at the dining table and began to eat. Jack filled in David on what he did over the years and answered any questions David had before finally the meal was gone, and bellies full, and also questions answered. Once the plates joined the scotch glass in the dishwasher David shifted focus to more recent events.
*Perspective shift"
To David everything was going extremely well argument set aside. Jack was being engaging, lively, telling all and answering all, and leaving nothing out. It felt good to be reconnected to the one mammal he considered to be like a son to him, and to see what appeared to be a little bit of light back in his eyes. It was disheartening when Jack told him that he was more or less an alcoholic, and that he had depression. David had questioned that if he had depression how did he pass the phycological tests and Jack had simply replied "oh those? Oh that was freaking easy." But didn't elaborate further. David was almost completely filled in but there was one more topic that David wanted to broach, and it involved a certain Vixen and said vixen's kit. David had some hunches that he wanted confirmation on.
"So Jack I got a question for you."
"Alright shoot David."
"Who's this vixen your helping and her kit, Nicholas was it? And just what's your goal there?"
"...I swear I'm going to shave Demetri completely."
While David enjoyed the mental image of a shaved Demetri and internally laughed David knew Jack was trying to avoid the topic, one check in the box. "While I enjoy that image I do believe that's not an answer."
"Yeah alright David alright. Her names Vivian, Vivian Wilde. And before I tell you the story don't you DARE insinuate that I did what I did just to try and get into her pants, because if you do I WILL hit you again and I will throw your ass out of my house and you can try talking to me again in another seven years. I will never do that to any mammal especially one like her, got it?"
David nodded and mentally thought "another check in the box." Jack then told the entire story of what happend, how he met Nicholas and described everything about him, everything he did for Nicholas, meeting Vivian for the first time, all of his interactions with her, their conversations, and what he did for her, and he even showed him the handkerchief that Nicholas had gaven to him and it's story. Jack had been so much more animated when he spoke of Nicholas, it almost sounded like fondness. So David surmised that little Nicholas in a single night had worked his way into Jack's fractured heart. Once Jack was done he added another check to the box in his mind before deciding to get what Jack thought about Vivian, to describe her in his own words.
"Tell me more about Vivian, describe her to me."
"Uh, sure. Well she's about 4 feet tall, paws are russet color, black tipped tail and ears, her eyes are that beautiful, vibrant emerald green just like her son...and well, she was beautiful. I mean she's 25 but she doesn't look a single day over 20! Just from talking to her and meeting her I know she's funny, kind-hearted, ULTRA protective of Nicholas, she's just got a great personality, she's also wicked smart, and a little snarky too, she can also banter WAY better than you can. She also can get a little emoitinal, and I'd wager she wears them on her sleeve."
When Jack had intially started describing Vivian David was worried that he was missing he point and was going to start dedrining her like he was reading from a file. Then he talked about her eyes and then started describing her just like he thought he would, another check in the box. He had one final question about her, just out of curiosity. "huh, sounds like one hell of a vixen. What was her scent like by the way?" Jack's reaction was a little surprising but sort of expected, Jack's hackles raised up fully, he shot up to his feet and his tail was fully bristled and swishing in agitation. Another check in the box.
"Ok what the fuck David!?" David leaned back in his chair and held his paws up before saying "whoa whoa! Easy Jack easy! It was an innocent question! I was curious what her scent was like because I've met other foxes and they smell different each time! Like you, you smell like the cedar forest! I was wondering if all foxes smelled different jeez!"
Jack visibly began to calm at that and his tail stopped swishing and his tail fur settled, but his hackles only lowered slightly. Jack sat back down and then replied "next time lead with that explanation David, your liable to get punched otherwise. For your information some foxes smell the same and others smell different for a variety of reasons, where they live, shampoo they use, type of cologne or perfume, type of MuskMask, or even if certain things are regularly eaten. For instance, Nicholas under the slight musk that all foxes have smells of violets, and according to Vivian that's because he likes to eat violets, I'm not sure of the exact science but apparently because he likes to eat them and if there's a field roll in them so he smells of them. I smell like the cedar forest because of three of those things: where I live, the type of shampoo I use, and if I wear it the type of MuskMask. Vivian like my mom smelled of cherry blossoms by the way, I don't know why and I'm not gonna ask. But it was almost comforting, kind of the reason I have cherry blossom trees, and I say that because I felt you were gonna ask. David had listened to the whole explanation and learned two things, no not all foxes smelled the same nor different, and to put another check in the box.
*Perspective shift*
After the conversation David had stuck around for about another twenty minutes before he decided it was time to get home to his wife. Jack gave him another hug and all of his contact information before seeing him out. Once David was gone and the door was shut Jack sighed, the night had definitely not gone as expected put Jack wasn't really complaing, he reconnected with an old friend and got some insight on a few things and some advice from David like "living alone and by yourself isn't really living Jack, remember that. One of these days you need to go out and open your heart to someone, you may be afraid of what will happen once or if they find out about your past, but the right mammal will be able to look past it and love the real you. If you don't try to find that mammal it'll be worse than trying and failing Jack."
That had oddly been the last thing David had said to him before he left but Jack had no time to reflect upon it, while reconnecting with David was pleasant it did put him behind schedule a little bit in his eyes so it was time to pick up the pace. Walking back into the kitchen Jack went back over to the island and pressed a button that was on the right side of it. A projection identical to the pad print one outside appeared on the island and Jack repeated the same motions except for the retinal scan, this one only required the prints. Once the circles turned green and he did the half rotation the island opened up revealing a set of stairs. The stairs leds to Jack's secret armory where he stored all of his gear and guns except for his idnetical sets of certain weapons at each home and the muplitple weapons hid around them "just in case."
Jack decended the stairs and once he reached the bottom the lights immediately flicked on. His armory was 1,000 square feet just to contain all of his gadgets, gear, weapons, and everything else that helped him be an assassin. Walking over to the areas of the walls where his weapons were Jack browsed to choose what to bring, the left wall was all snipers and shotguns, the right wall was all ARs and sub-machine guns, and the front wall was all pawguns except for the center. The center of the wall had a rectangle carved out and inside it layed a large sort of toolbox/chest. "Perfect."
Jack went to the front wall and pulled out the chest while saying "hello old friend" and placed it on an empty table before opening the top lid. Inside the top lid the first thing laying there was another Para-Ordance BlackOps 1911 BlackWolf but this one had a box suppressor, double-stack mag, and a flashlight fixed to its bottom rail. This pawgun was the main one he carried when he worked for Big, in fact all of the equipment in the chest and the chest itself was what he used when he worked for Big. It contained his original Karambit and Kyoketsu-shoge, three pawguns, two sub-machine guns, three other knives, 6 kunai, several entry denial device laser traps of his own design, two claymores, and three concussion, flashbang, and fragmentation grenades.
The chest literally contained everything he needed to pack other than sniper rifles. (The sub-machine guns were an MP7 and an MP9 both BlackWolf) All Jack needed to do was re-arrange a little, he lifted the top compartment up and it extended up just enough to show the other two pawguns. Jack took the top one and replaced it with the identical pistol that was in the second slot, the only difference between the two was that the second one was an FDEWolf instead of a BlackWolf. Jack then placed the third pawgun a Berretta Px4 BlackFox into the second slot and put the 1911 he was still holding into the third and shifted all the magazines afterwards.
Once he was done Jack closed the chest again and then focused his attention to the left wall to pick the two snipers he would be bringing with him and using. After a moment he decided and made his first selection, it was a silenced 308. MK14 EBR BlackWolf with a scope that went from 6x to 16x and had a canted red dot sight. Grabbing a rifle bad he placed the MK14 in it before grabbing three additional magazines for it from the shelf to the left of the snipers and three boxes of ammunition placing all into the bag. The MK14 would be his backup sniper/sniper he would use while moving into positions before switching to his primary.
He browsed his selection contemplating what caliber would be efficient with all the varying species of mammals he was gonna be fighting when his eyes fell upon another old friend. Jack smiled at it and picked it off the wall while saying "well hello Sally." "Sally" was a Barrett M82A1M SilverWolf, and one of, if not jack's favorite sniper. It fired 50 caliber rounds so it took care of all of Jack's bases, no need to pack variant rounds either. Sure if he shot a goat in the chest there wouldn't be much goat left but that wasn't his problem, better it be one shot for all then two to three shots for some, it was a matter of principle and efficiency. Besides, Jack pretty much only shot for the throat and above. Sally joined the MK14 in the bag but with five additional magazines and six boxes of ammunition. Then Jack closed and shouldered the bag, picked up the chest, and then exited his armory.
Once he fully exited the island shut itself up once more and Jack loaded his gear into the bed of the truck. Going back inside Jack double checked to make sure he had everything before turning off the lights and then re-exited and got into his truck. He still had several hours before he even needed to start heading to Periton but he figured he might as well get an early start, dealing with the gate guards might turn into a hassle once he tells them what's in the truck. Starting the truck Jack put it in drive and said "time to go to work."
Done! So, sorry it took longer to get this chapter out but FarCry 5 came out and yeah...it might have eaten into my writing time a bit... or a lot. But I went ahead and finished it quick so expect updates every other week again and perhaps even once a week.
Please do review!...
I think I had more to say but it's 2:30 in the morning so screw it.
Next time on A Father Figure! Vivian and Skye get together for a little "girl" talk and Vivian begins to use the opportunities Jack gave her for a better life for her and Nicholas. And that's all the information your gonna get, I ain't gonna spoil nothing sorry!
This is TheConcernedF0X signing off! Until next time!