Recommended Songs
[1] Going to Go Good (from The Bad Guys) - Daniel Pemberton (0:00 to 2:34)
[2] Fly Me To The Moon - Julie London
[3] The Trial - Arcane Original Soundtrack
[4] Turn on the Charm (from The Bad Guys) - Daniel Pemberton
Chapter 4 - Recycled into Something Beautiful
The robbery that took place forced everyone to be outside in case there were any other robbers inside the museum. But it looks like everyone decides to watch the massive humiliation the Bad Guys are facing. As Diane and Marmalade try to settle down the furiously excited reporters, along with Kitty and Doom furiously taking pictures of the Bad Guys being arrested, Diane takes a glance back to see the criminals being forced into the police van. [1]
Those guys really try to make it personal. She realizes that she did in fact provoke them. There is a sense of guilt in her upon seeing how some of the guests are freaked out by the turn of events. The governor yesterday was right. She shouldn't be going out of her way to address criminals and her opinions about them.
She can't help but feel a bit more prideful. The Crimson Paw never got caught and she always had tricks up her sleeve. The Bad Guys kind of stoop a bit lower when it comes to TRYING to escape. Even though they used the chaos to get out and attempted to use a grappling hook, it fell short when it came to TESTING their exits. Or if anything went wrong to the point where they need to improvise.
Even though it is only a side thought, she wishes that they would do a better job in heists like these when they are released from prison.
"Excuse me!" called Wolf.
Everyone turns their attention to the ringleader of the pack. Diane raises a quizzical eyebrow at him.
"Sorry for interrupting," said Wolf, looking right at Diane. "I just wanted to congratulate the governor here. Gotta say, you REALLY had us pegged."
Diane places her hands on her hips. Oh, he is going to be playing like this, huh?
"We're just a deep well of anger, self-loathing-"
"Denial," added Diane bluntly.
"Sure."
"Narcissism," snarled Diane, trying not to remember what happened yesterday. "Emotional emptiness."
Wolf laughs humorlessly. "So we're on the same page. We were never given a chance to be anything more than 'second-rate' criminals."
Diane snorts a little, trying to act as if she doesn't have the time to dwell on it. With Marmalade nearby, she should just leave it to him to deal with the problem. And she doesn't know half of the Bad Guys.
"If only there was someone who could help the 'flower of goodness inside us blossom'?" Wolf said mockingly.
The chief doesn't seem to want to listen to any of this as she grins wickedly and tries pushing Wolf back into the van. That is paused when Marmalade raises his voice.
"Wait! Stop!" said Marmalade. "Mr. Wolf may be a savage beast. Basically walking garbage." He pauses upon realizing what he said. "No offence. I'm making a point."
"Do what you need to do, pal," said Wolf sarcastically.
"But how can we say they're hopeless if they've never been given a chance? I have approached criminals like you before. Teenage delinquents, mob gangs and con artists; all need breakthrough therapy. Some of them mostly came from horrible upbringings, social pressures and how they view the world. There is no excuse for their actions, but wouldn't that be a reason to show that they never want to be criminals in the first place?"
The chatter in the crowd as they mull over this. Diane feels uncomfortable, shivering upon remembering why she became the Crimson Paw. Marmalade turns to Diane and nods as if telling her that this is part of the plan.
"What if we tried a little experiment, Diane? He asks. "As you know, my Gala for Goodness, the hashtag charity event of the year, is coming up. If I can prove to everyone at the gala that the Bad Guys have changed, will you set them free and give them a clean start?"
Everyone gasps at this. Diane could hear Kitty whispering in doubt with Doom. The fox governor tries to think about it, wondering if it might be a good idea.
This isn't what she had in mind.
She thought Marmalade might do something or confront the Bad Guys before they were arrested or visit them in prison. But she doesn't really know that she is going to have another involvement in it. Which means using her power to decide on letting them go or not.
Before she can even reply, the chief is already protesting.
"NO, NO, NO!" pleaded the chief. "Professor, don't you see what he's doing? He's playing you!"
"But it was my idea!" stated Marmalade.
"It WAS his idea!" teased Wolf.
"Only because YOU put the idea in his head!" snarled the chief, whipping around to the criminal.
Diane isn't sure how to respond to this. She might as well let Marmalade do his thing, but she has to play it cool. Besides, she is worried about this.
"Professor," she said. "I'm not about to put the safety of the civilians on the line for an experiment."
"Excuse me, Governor," said Wolf with a smirk. "I seem to remember that a wise person once said 'even trash can be recycled into something beautiful.'"
Oh crap.
Diane doesn't respond back immediately this time.
She looks behind to see Kitty having a mix of being amused and disappointed. Doom is shocked, already having second thoughts about her role as the governor. She glances at Marmalade who is nodding in agreement. Marmalade stares back at her.
"Just because you were a former criminal doesn't mean you understand everyone."
But at this moment, he looks a bit apologetic for saying those words. Maybe this is due to wanting to make sure Diane keeps her governor status and not thrown under the bus. If she makes this choice, there is going to be a huge backlash. However, this may be her chance to help these criminals! This is her only chance in knowing them better and fixing things.
Best of all, she doesn't need to use much of her criminal side to take drastic actions.
And Marmalade might be the right fit to reach out to the Bad Guys.
Besides, she has to make up for what she said. Her attitude toward the Bad Guys is still virulent, but she can't always be like that when she is a criminal in the past.
"Well?" said Kitty, raising her voice from the whispering crowd. "What is it going to be?"
"OK," Diane whispers, barely non-audible. "We'll do so. But we have to hold onto the Golden Dolphin until the gala to remove any unnecessary temptation. We have to see how far this experiment will go to help for goodness."
"Of course!" said Marmalade as he pushed aside the retrieved Golden Dolphin award. "That's why you're the governor! Remember that."
Diane smirks a little hearing this.
"Now that everyone's happy!" said Marmalade as he proudly opened his full intention with wide arms. "I, Rupert Marmalade the Fourth, will turn the Bad Guys into…the Good Guys!"
Another gasp from the guests and reporters, and a flood of questions and admiration come right in. There is excitement, but also worry, wonder and curiosity about how the experiment will go since it is now allowed by Diane. Wolf is already digging in this response as he gives the handcuffs back to the chief who looks like she is going to strangle someone. As he climbs into the van for the trip to the next step, he winks at Diane.
The fox returns the wink. "Not everyone gets a second chance. Make the most of it, 'Mr. Poodleton'."
A smile appears on Wolf. This time, he looks much more friendly and genuine. For a moment, Diane thinks he looks cute like this, a blush over her cheeks. Maybe this might actually work out despite the Bad Guys looking like they can take advantage of things.
Diane turns to Marmalade. "We are not going to regret this, right?"
"Don't worry," said the guinea pig, grinning as he ignored the chief already pulling out a nearby water hydrant from the pavement in frustration. "I got this one in the bag. I am NOT kidding you!" [1s]
"YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!" shrieks Doom as he gets up into Diane's face. "THIS TOWN IS NOW GONNA BE SCREWED! WHAT DO YOU THINK THE LEADER OF THIS WILL THINK?!" [2]
"I'm a leader of this city technically…" corrected Diane softly.
"Either you're really suicidal for Los Angeles or you're crazy, you're gonna be allowing the rest of the criminals to take advantage of us. If only you focus on using your HAND then your EARS!"
"Well, if I have a hand attached to my ears," deadpanned Diane. "Then I would guarantee that I could get a BETTER grab of what I hear."
The Good Samaritan Awards continue after the fiasco that happened. After waiting for 30 minutes to look through the place to make sure that there aren't any backup tracks, the guards confirm that it is safe for them to enter. Diane didn't offer out any more awards, so she is free to continue her dinner. That said, during the break time between presentations, she is met with a truly inescapable confrontation from her friends who are not pleased with her decision.
And she can't really go back to her original table since it is already occupied by another guest.
"I can see why you made the decision," said Kitty, more relaxed unlike the stressful Doom. "But we don't know if this 'experiment' is gonna go well."
"I'll have to admit," said Diane, rubbing her snout. "I don't know what I'm doing for this one since Wolf threw my words back at me. However, if this is one way to reach out to the Bad Guys, then it would work."
"What happened tonight might leave you gullible enough for criminals to try to ask for the same treatment," said Doom, huffing.
"What makes you think that when we have eyes watching over us?" asked Diane.
"Say that it's only Mr. Wolf who gets the experiment. Maybe he is pushed due to how savage wolves are portrayed, but he acts like a gentleman. He is really mischievous like that one dirtbag who tried to steal your lunch money every time back in uni. We might see that he wants to change, but we don't know if his charisma is all a play. He might just leave us stunned until we realized he got away with it."
"That is really true," said Kitty, nodding her head.
Diane feels pretty flustered. She is a bit charmed by what Wolf says to her, though she doesn't know if he is as cunning as the Crimson Paw when it comes to words.
"So deep," said Diane. "How many PhDs do you have?"
"About 6," snarked Doom. "Philosophy is one of them."
"So you're a philosophist as well?"
"I prefer the term 'psychiatrist' because I took that subcategory when exploring my degree of philosophy."
"If you're a psychiatrist," said Diane flatly. "We're all screwed now. You could have been the one calling the experiment since you're a little angsty egg."
"...I was about to leave it right there," said Doom. "But you have to bring that up. Technically, the topic of counselling criminals is something I'm not good at."
"You might want to think this through, Diane," said Kitty as she picked up another piece from her last fish meal. "That would require a lot of debating, changes to a few regulations in the city and the possibility of you losing your position as governor. Not to mention going off to more risky corners on the road."
Diane sighs. She knew that Kitty always has her doubts. Doom already said his as he is the first to be scared of her choice in letting Marmalade take control of the situation. The fox knows that this is going to be tricky, but this might be the first time a government figure would get to do something right like this. She would be able to cross over into the criminal world properly with Marmalade's help. This would help solve another conflict!
"I didn't accept being elected to be a governor to have a good status in the first place," reminded Diane. "I want to help people, but there are things that I would eventually need to do. And I can be in control of the team. Should be lucky that I don't need to use my mercenary business for this one. I know the risks that are going to happen, but I promise you that if anything goes wrong, I'll have to address it." She pauses for a while. "I meant what I said at the press conference and I meant what I said to 'Mr. Poodleton' before he stole my ring. And I don't think and won't stop for this occasion."
Kitty thinks about this for a few seconds. This fox is really dead set on taking the experiment and she is still young. However, it might be good that she is taking responsibility to it. The worst-case scenario would be Diane falling apart, but Marmalade seems to be covering the heavy for her.
"I'll let you go for this one," said Kitty.
"I don't think I would," said Doom, shaking his head.
"Cut her some slack. If she and the government are taking part in looking for ways to support the Bad Guys, then it shouldn't be too complicated. It's a structured plan."
Doom inhales through clenched teeth. "OK then." He still gives Diane a glare. "You better do freaking good."
The fox nods with a toothy smile as she grabs a handful of muruku to munch on. She smacks her lips from the salty but spicy taste.
She believes that it might have something to do with later onwards. [2s]
BAD GUYS TERRORIZE ADORABLE RODENTS - FROM BAD TO WORSE
Just yesterday afternoon, an attempt to free thousands of guinea pigs from the long-running Sunnyside Labs had been granted, but not in the best way everybody would want it to be. Professor Rupert Marmalade IV, this year's recipient for the 'Goodest Civilian' of the Good Samaritans Awards, had conducted a risky experiment of getting the infamous criminal gang 'The Bad Guys' to free the guinea pigs.
While they were freed, they were caught assaulting a couple of guinea pigs in animal onesies. From the image at the right, you can see Mr. Piranha and Ms. Tarantula punching and pulling on a guinea pig each. Mr. Shark could be seen with a mouthful of guinea pigs, nearly about to swallow them. And on top of that, Mr. Snake was the prime suspect for the chaos that happened in which Mr. Wolf squeezed all the guinea pigs out from him.
Neither Marmalade or the Bad Guys were charged yet for trespassing, harassment on guinea pigs, attempted eating and theft as Sunnyside Labs is already under investigation due to the ongoing protests of their 'illegal experiments'. However, authorities are concerned with the reformation experiment Professor Marmalade is leading due to the unexpected and aggressive actions of the Bad Guys, even questioning the professor due to his relation to the laboratory.
The spice hits back more than the salt.
A day right after the Good Samaritan Awards and the Bad Guys failed to even safely carry the guinea pigs out of the controversial laboratory. Diane would have planned the entire rescue mission first, but Marmalade just had to rush through and get them to save the guinea pigs without noting what the gang might do. Especially when it comes to the subject of Mr. Snake; he would definitely be eager to have a free feast then letting them live.
In a meeting with the other governors the next morning, she can see that they are all disgusted and shocked with varying degrees of pity or impatience. They had to call over for an early meeting due to Sunnyside Labs slowly falling apart ever since the guinea pigs broke out in order to decide what they should do about the facility.
"The results given from the rescue of the guinea pigs are…a bit mixed," said one governor. "But what the Bad Guys did to them can't be ignored, even if unintentional." [3]
"But that snake guy did mean eating the guinea pigs!" said another. "It's what snakes do."
"Do you think they might be able to improve from this?" asked a third. "We don't know how effective Professor Marmalade's experiment is going to be for the Bad Guys."
Thomas turned to Diane. "Diane Foxington. You're responsible for greenlighting the reformation of the Bad Guys. What do you have to say for yourself?"
Diane realizes that everyone is looking at her.
She sighs. Of course, she did let Marmalade try to help the Bad Guys! And as Kitty and Doom warned her, she would be the one needing to have control of it as well. She should have taken the 'no other easy way' more seriously. The Crimson Paw settled down when she decided to leave the Golden Dolphin. With this crime gang, she isn't sure if the Bad Guys are honest with wanting to be reformed.
Marmalade might be right after all.
"I-I don't know what to say about this!" said Diane, lifting up her glasses to rub her eyes . "This is a really messy rescue they tried to do. Just like their last heist."
"Maybe this is just a misunderstanding," said one governor. "As knowing how they pride themselves, they are probably not used to trying to do good before, so it would need to take time."
"How can we take more time when we don't know if their second mission for 'goodness' is going to go well?" snarled another. "They harmed the guinea pigs and could have crippled them. Is this the sort of heroes we can expect?"
"But this ain't like a comic book," said another governor. "There would be hiccups along the way."
"Yeah, hiccups that can be fatal," said one that is sitting near Diane. "Without careful planning, their ship can fall apart."
"Is there anything else we should expect from the experiment of Marmalade's?" asked a female governor.
"Foxington," said one governor. "I believe you are loosening your standards."
"I am clearly not!" said Diane, nearly raising her voice. Hearing all of them question her old intention to help criminals hit her pride. "This is our city. The Bad Guys are the high examples of the species being judged in our country. I don't know what Marmalade is trying to do before the charity event, but there has to be SOMETHING that can help change their image for good. For their own good. For like…what they want."
"Look," said one governor sharply. "We tried several times with others, but it always ends the way we all expect it to go; them rotting in prison."
"But why not give them a chance?" asked Diane. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my good deeds. And maybe any other fox would have a harder time trying to be promoted in a role like this for how he, she or they are seen as. We should be a peaceful and fair society; why stop when helping the Bad Guys can lead to a positive influence on our city?"
"ENOUGH!" snapped one governor. "You don't know what is at stake. More people might end up being hurt. Our people should be protected from the abilities and strengths of criminals, not cultivate it."
Diane doesn't know why, but she feels hurt by this. Maybe it is because hearing this reminds her of how the Crimson Paw is viewed. A menace. Deceitful. What kind of government would want that?
Thomas sighs, raising his hand. "Diane didn't do anything wrong with allowing the experiment. It is clear that it is Marmalade who offered the idea and is trying to run it. While what happened yesterday would be labelled as a violation, it should be up to Diane to see if it is for the best or for the worst."
A couple of the governors mutter amongst themselves in a thoughtful discussion.
"I agree," said another. "She should decide if the Bad Guys deserve a second chance. What do you say?" [3s]
However, Diane isn't in a good mood to decide already. She shakes her head and gets out of her seat.
"I-I'll just…go tell Professor Marmalade about this," she said quietly. "If I decide that this is no good, I am calling Chief Misty Luggins to apprehend the Bad Guys."
Diane didn't listen to the rest of the meeting as she decided to get out of the room before things could turn ugly. Diane knew that she could calmly tell them about what she wanted to do about the situation and was aware of how paranoid the governors are, but she just heard one of them belittling her for giving those criminals a second chance. Justified since she is newly elected, but since she used to be a criminal, it doesn't make her feel better about moving on.
Hearing all the different opinions from her co-workers makes her feel really conflicted about thinking if the criminal world can be forgiven and turn into a new world for everyone, but the fear settles in with what if not all the criminals want to be a better person.
Arriving at Marmalade's compound, she knocks on the door, tapping her foot impatiently. The same coyote security guard she saw the other day is also there, looking at her unimpressed.
"So, how did it go?" Nathan asked casually.
"As fly as a fly flying through the air," snarked Diane before growling. "No, I'm NOT fine at this moment!"
"The Bad Guys screwed saving the guinea pigs yesterday," said Nathan, shaking his head. "I saw them trying a few more practices earlier today and they didn't seem to have learnt their lesson that much."
"You're sure about that?"
Nathan thinks about it. "..well, maybe more on Mr. Snake."
Diane closes her eyes and tries to take a deep breath.
"You want me to go to their secret hideout and blow it the hell up?" offered Nathan, smirking.
"No way," said Diane firmly.
Nathan shrugs. "Just trying to help."
She is finally allowed to enter and she meets up with the sheepish Bad Guys and a nervous Marmalade. Spotting a nearby newspaper of the event, she picks it up and waves it around angrily.
She is mad.
Like REALLY mad.
"Trespassing! Mayhem! Assault with a deadly reptile?!" she ranted. "As if those poor rodents haven't been through enough already! Look, Professor. I can understand what you are trying to do, but the government is already becoming uncertain about the future for the Bad Guys. I'm sorry. The best-case scenario for me is to call the chief."
"Hold on!" said Marmalade as he tries to make his point. "Experiments take time. I'm sure that I can be able to find a new angle. I'm just not seeing it yet."
"Well, you could have thought of another angle if you didn't have them trying to do something similar to a heist." Diane shakes her head and bends down, keeping her voice to a whisper. It might not matter as the Bad Guys are already in a small argument of their own. "I don't know what you plan to do next, but it seems that it isn't going well."
Marmalade frowns. "Diane, I told you to not worry about me."
"What about the whole 'dangerous people' and 'empathetic to criminals'?"
"Well, this is actually part of the plan. I just don't want you to get involved too quickly because that time wasn't the right time and…you're kind of inexperienced for this role."
Diane huffs. "Fair point, but doesn't explain you asking me to break into their HQ."
Marmalade cringes. "Don't read further into this. I. Got. It. Under. Control."
"Nice intimidation right then. So, where is this leash you have on them?"
"It is still underway. I might have full control by the gala."
"I admire that you are trying to confront those criminals," said Diane firmly. "But after that train wreck, there is no way the government or the people of the city are going to calm down. I'm sorry, but we might have to break off our deal." She stands up and turns around. "I might as well inform the government what you did."
"You don't understand," said Marmalade, following her. "They were TRYING to rescue them and with that, wouldn't that open up a-?"
Before Marmalade can solidify his point, Wolf takes over.
"Let me talk to Diane," he said charmingly. "I got this."
The guinea pig professor looks like he wants to go against, but decides it might be the only thing to convince Diane to let the experiment continue.
Diane sighs, making her way to the atrium.
"Madame Governor Diane," said Wolf as he flirtily blinked towards her.
"Do NOT try to Clooney me, Wolf," snarled Diane.
"Oh, I see what's going on. You think I'm still a Bad Guy! Just trying to bamboozle my way to freedom. But we've changed. That flower of goodness? It's blossoming all over the place."
If there is something she learned from entering the criminal world, Diane knows when a person is being honest or not.
"Don't you ever get tired of lying?" asked Diane.
"No," said Wolf. Though, he pauses when he thinks about it. "I mean…fudge. That's a trick question, isn't it?"
Diane rolls her eyes and sighs. They are nearly outside, so this might give her the right time to confront Wolf. She knows that it might not work out eventually, but she wants to try. To see if she can find some sort of depth in Wolf.
The memory of him being curled up in bed while having a nightmare comes up when seeing his face. There has to be something to break the tide.
"I gave you an opportunity!" said Diane, exasperated. "A chance to show the world that you're more than just a scary stereotype and…"
She trails off, nearly unable to say the next few words she is trying to form properly. She slaps Wolf in the chest.
"But you're too proud or too…"
She pushes Wolf gently, clearly wanting to give her a piece of her mind.
"...gutless to take advantage of it!"
Wolf looks as if he is seeing a stranger. "Gutless? I'M gutless?!"
He laughs, though it is devoid of any mockingness. He is CLEARLY ticked off.
"I'm sorry, have we met?! I'm the villain of every story! The 'Big Bad Wolf' expected to eat up sheep and children alive for greed! The dog who is seen as the 'monster'! Guilty until proven innocent, but if by some MIRACLE we did change, who's gonna believe us?! HUH?!" He smiles sarcastically. "Of course, you wouldn't know anything about that with your Little Miss Perfect power suits!"
Diane's eyes widened a little, smiling a little in surprise as she crossed her arms. It hits her. Is Wolf actually playing up the title of a criminal because he has nowhere else to turn to? When there are…people who ostracized him for how he looks?
Hearing this actually makes her feel sorry.
Recalling back to her thoughts when she first saw him that night, she is starting to think that maybe Wolf genuinely wants to be good or at least be left alone from being bothered. His ways of trying to mingle with the civilians seem to look like less of a lie and more of him trying to be just him. He is going through similar pressures Diane went through her entire life.
Thinking about it, Diane realizes that the two of them have the same worries about how they are viewed. Even though Marmalade is still true about her not understanding criminals, maybe she can understand the Bad Guys. She isn't certain of revealing her identity as the Crimson Paw, but just being her, she doesn't need to fight too hard to relate to criminals.
Besides, she just did something that Wolf might be impressed with.
"Is that so?" said Diane before revealing her stolen ring from seemingly thin air. [4]
Wolf is baffled. "Wait a second? Where did-?" He pats himself all around, trying to check to see if the ring was in any of his pockets before. "How did you…?"
Diane smirks as she rolls the ring around her fingers. "A wolf and a fox are not so different." She flicks it right back at him. She still doesn't feel like fancying it, so she could let Wolf have the diamond. "I did use to play with the stereotype of foxes before. It worked out well for a while, but…I realize that it might hurt the other foxes out there in the world. And it doesn't exactly make me how I want to be seen as."
Wolf nods. "OK, maybe you're right. Though, I don't see any other wolves in Los Angeles. Have you?"
"There might be other wolves who are in your shoes," said Diane sincerely. "Maybe they will believe you. Maybe they won't." She pauses a second to consider saying the next few words, but decides that judgment shouldn't overpower a person's desires and wants. "But it doesn't matter. Don't do it for THEM. Do it for YOU. This is a chance to write YOUR own story. To find a better life for you AND your friends! Something that makes you feel good."
Wolf can only gaze at her for a long time. Nobody outside his crew says things like that to him. They would just run away or give him the cold shoulder. He is a little jealous of the fox in front of him for seemingly having a better life, but noticing how good of a pickpocket she is, there might be more than meets the fancy glasses she wears.
Diane feels relief and joy that Wolf doesn't try to say anything back angrily or lie his way out of it. It looks like he has never heard someone telling him this before. Something he desires to hear. She is reaching out to him. Letting people know that they will be OK because she wants to help them.
"C'mon," said Diane. "What have you got to lose?"
"I don't know," said Wolf, still shocked. "My dignity?"
Diane raises an eyebrow at the sheep onesie Wolf is wearing. She looks down at his stomach. It looks like Marmalade placed him on a more unhealthy diet yesterday.
"Yeah," she agreed. "Well, that ship has already sailed."
A beep rings from her watch. It is from Kitty. Diane chuckles. She knew that her friend would call her when there was an issue. For this matter, it is regarding the Bad Guys. She makes her way down the stairs and to the cars waiting for her.
As she gets in, she rolls down her window to see Wolf, looking like a lost sheep.
"So, you're not going to call the chief?" he asked. It isn't out of concern for what would happen to him and his friends. It sounds more like asking if she trusts him.
She smiles, not needing to answer. "Believe it or not, I'm rooting for you. I'll see you at the gala."
A smile appears on Wolf. Like back at the awards show, he looks pretty nice. Not as smug or having the smirk he usually has. Just him being…him. He even looks bashful, touched by what she told him.
As Diane rolls up the window and the cars drive her away, she thinks back to what she was told.
"Just because you were a former criminal doesn't mean you understand everyone."
"Always saying that you got things to do and the next minute, you end up looking like a wreck."
"A fox can run fast but not for too long."
"Even trash can be recycled into something beautiful."
The double life of being a governor and a mercenary?
Her past being of the infamous Crimson Paw and getting to use it for knowledge on criminals.
She can…understand other criminals.
Her heart is beating and she feels as if she is flying on a cloud. Her tail is already wagging slightly. She chuckles before hearing her watch ring once again. The fox presses on it and the screen is filled by the cat's eyes.
"Diane!" said Kitty. "Thank goodness you're alright. Did you manage to do something about the Bad Guys lately?"
Diane beams. "Yeah. I really did." [4s]
AN: We'll see about that, Diane. We'll see.
Did anyone take note of Luggins pulling out the water hydrant? :3
Doon's little rant took inspiration from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 with him yelling and Diane snarking back at him.
The scene where Diane talks with the other governors take inspiration from Arcane. I wasn't able to do that much research on the government system in California, but when I think about it, I wonder if there are other governors working to lead the city since it couldn't be just Diane on her own. She has power, but it would still be a lot for her and there would be other parties involved. Here, this provides how Diane tries to work with the others in the government and it is stressful.
Rumors say that if you review about what you think about this chapter, you earn a nuzzle by Wolf. Feedback and criticism are welcome to help with any improvements needed. If you dare to be rude or send any flames, they will be doomed by Piranha's fart gas if deemed to be toxic, and you'll end up looking like a fool.
Until next time, keep on rocking!