Correct Framing (For Drewit)
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Note, this story is based off of my fic 'An Anonymous Vulpine', but with one absolutely critical event (that's a fair spoiler) changed around. If you've read it, you'll get it. If not you'll probably be confused and spoiled. But who knows?
Either way, enjoy:
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"Is this the fox's locker?"
Principle Van-Der-Horn looked over at the caretaker next to her, the goat scrolling through the list of her students and their lockers. All the while, she spared her gaze at the group of police officers who'd come in, most of all the large tiger who seemed to be leading them.
"-It is," he said, as her eyes looked on as a wolf officer leant in and gave a few sniffs, grimacing and waving the mammal over.
All the while a pit in the bottom of her stomach kept growing and growing. At first when they'd turned up, saying that an anonymous tip had been given about one of her students, a red fox, bringing in refined nighthowler capsules, she'd dismissed it out of hoof. How would such a student even get such things?
And yet here they were, looking at the locker in question, the mood getting darker as the officers unlocked it and pulled it open, her heart cracking at the sight.
There they were, amidst the piles of candy snacks. Four gleaming, deadly nighthowler capsules.
"-The fox is in his class at the moment, yes?" The tiger asked, turning to her as his tone turned practically murderous. She nodded, they'd confirmed it when they'd first arrived. "Well then," he began, reaching for his cuffs.
Somehow, she managed to put a hoof up. "I'll call him out of class," she said, giving the tiger pause for a second.
"Fine, but if he tries any funny business then it's on you."
She nodded, taking the long steps along the corridor to the door in question. A few knocks on it and she let herself in, disrupting a student's presentation. "Ash Fox?" she asked, looking around and letting her gaze settle on the scruffy young vulpine. He looked over at her, head tilting and ears pulling back.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Could you come with me please?"
A bunch of whispers spread through the classroom as the fox calmly got up and began to pack up his things. His cousin, a recent addition to the school, was sitting next to him and helped him with a few things, the red fox quickly pulling his bag over his shoulder and making his way out.
He got halfway to her when a loud call broke the supressed silence. "Hey Ash, did those cops finally come for you, huh!?"
Her eyes flicked up to a large and rather outspoken groundhog, currently wearing what she was sure most of her students would class as a scat eating grin as he leant back in his chair, arms crossed.
She wasn't quite sure what to say to that given the situation but thankfully a call from the classroom's teacher managed to shut him down. Even if his shrug meant he only really brushed it off.
Ash though had turned, staring at him, tail frizzed up. For a moment she feared there might be an incident, only for the vulpine to shrug it off. "Probably some news about my mother's pregnancy," he said, waving it off. And with that he waved him off and left with her, the door closing.
She led him along, silent for a moment as she looked at the fox, caught purple pawed as it were. She'd known he'd had some mental health issues recently, including self-harm. He was on a watch list for suicidal behaviour, though from what she'd been told he'd been making excellent progress since his lowest. But now? Getting Nighthowlers somehow? Storing them in his school lockers. Using them for whatever it was he was planning? It just didn't feel like him at all… "Is there anything you'd like to say?" she ventured.
He paused, looking up, a slight shock of realisation hitting him. "-I mean, if it is about my mother I'm happy for my cousin to be there to get the news too," he said, pointing back.
"I mean…" She began, before looking on as a slight terrified look began to spread over his face. Her eyes slowly scanned the area around him, in case he truly did try and make a run for it, or…
"-Is she okay?"
She paused. "Who's okay?"
"-My mother," he said. "Or the baby, or both…" His paws came up to his face, gripping them. "Why else would you call me out of class like that, something…"
"They're fine," Angela cut in, sighing as she saw the police officer step around the corner, the tiger waving them on. "The truth is, the police want to talk to you about something."
He looked on at them, blinking. "I mean, I don't know what it'd be about," he said, walking around the corner and pausing as he saw the locker, the nighthowler pellets nestled within. "What…?"
"We got an anonymous tip that you'd brought these in and were keeping them in your locker," she said, a paw on his back as the tiger officer marched over. "They'd just like a word with you at the station, nothing too… -That will be unnecessary!"
The tiger ignored her plea as he grabbed the fox and spun him around, pulling his arms behind him to cuff them up. "Leaved the police work to us, Ma'am," he said, then starting to read her student his rights.
He glanced around, this way, that, pleading eyes briefly looked up at her as he shook his head. "I don't know how…" And with that he was pushed forward, lead on and out. "-Beavis was right?"
It seemed like a set of last words, only not spoken in defiance or resolution but in utter confusion at just what was going on.
Angela looked on as the contents of the locker was bagged up, the officers making sure everything was taken before locking it up. Outside the police car pulled out, taking the student away.
At least, she told herself, there had been no confusion, drama, public humiliation for the fox.
As much of an open and shut case it seemed to be, she hoped he was innocent. She hoped everything had not all come to this.
But she knew what she had seen and didn't know how it could be anything other than that.
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"Anything of interest, my dear villain?"
Felicity watched as Rattigan rolled his eyes as the video playing on his phone. As always, as ever, keeping a finger on a pulse, waiting for the one they could slice open when the time came. "Mild, I would say," he said. "Mild."
She peered in, seeing the video play; a large hippo looking very pleased for himself was lecturing out and over a group of mammals. Bunnies, foxes, a hyena, red panda… One small red fox in particular seemed to be in the firing line, shrinking at first but also crossing his arms, puffing himself up, holding his ground.
"-Remember the smuggling route we were using to move our refined product across the city?" he asked. "More to the point, how one of the recruits got attacked and had the things stolen."
"Ah yes, it was a… Well, large rodent I think it was? The pup our porky companion's group had recruited wasn't the best at species recognition, was he?"
"Indeed, and probably more than we presumed," he said, finger resting down over the scruffy looking fox kit. "The howlers were found in his locker."
"Oh, naughty foxy," she giggled, shaking her head and tutting. Only for her to slow down, looking at him. "Could it lead back to us?"
"No, not that I could imagine." Pulling his screen back, he scrolled on. "He's nobody of note, his father is a some-time newspaper article writer, though he has a lot of friends in high places…"
"Something we can use?" She pondered.
"Ah, as ever on the hunt," Rattigan chuckled. "Alas, not that I think so. They know the officers who stopped the original howler crisis, for all good and ill of that… And have media contacts. ZNN, etcetera… All kicking up a fuss."
"What for?" she scoffed, "trying to paint this up as a frame job or…"
"Oh, you don't know the best part!" he smirked, looking up and then down. "Zootopia has laws that mean a kid who's arrested gets lots of legal rights and only goes to jail before trial unless he's literally caught with a blood knife in his paw or something… -While they also have a law saying anyone caught with refined nighthowlers can be held without charge in a secure facility for… Up to a month I think?" He chuckled. "And that tub of lard there is the city DA! Who thinks the nighthowler act…"
"Beats out the other one!" Felicity laughed. "Oh, magnificent, magnificent… So let me guess, has law two come out on top…"
"Yes, that kit is currently locked up and his family is kicking up a petty little civil rights thing to try and undo that," Rattigan waved off. "So let's see what happens…"
"Could we use it?" She asked. "For Project chaos?"
The rat paused, looking up at her. "Now there is a thought. It would make a fine spark, and the sooner we please my -ha, so called 'equals' in that plan, the more I can focus on our true goals in this city."
She nodded. "But how to do this? Try and sink their plan and wind up the foxes? Or help the foxes, and wind up everyone else thinking they're getting the kit gloves?"
"A fine question," he said, closing the screen down and slipping it away. "A fine question…" He winked. "Let's wait. We have our own howlers, and in the right place we could do a lot of fun with them."
"Oh yes," she purred, closing her eyes and thinking.
He just laughed mirthfully. "It'll be fun to see how this one plays out."
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"So, after I advised you to not tell them why you were here, you told them?"
Sitting across from the warden, the small scruffy red fox sat and his striped prison uniform, the baggy thing hanging off him. It gave him a scraggly look even before his naturally fussed up fur had been messed up further by the fight he'd got caught up in.
The argali supposed he should have expected something like this. When he'd met the kit, thrown into the prison without even a proper trial, his impression had been of a young, scared, but also insecure mammal. By far and away the last one was the most dangerous and, even after explaining that the old story about new mammals in jail having to pick a fight with the meanest guy to show he could hold his own was a complete myth that would only get him beat up, he'd been left thinking that the kid might still try something like that. Maybe not start a fight, but jump into one thinking he could get an arm up, be able to prove himself.
Ash nodded, he looked a bit worried but was also holding up a brave façade. Hiding weakness, trying to project strength, wanting to tough it out for better or for worse. "I was talking with some of the predators, and one of them joked about what I did to get in here. He thought someone wound me up enough that I snapped out." He looked away distastefully. "Called me a Jack in a Fox."
The warden sighed, looking away. "So you thought that rather than take that little joke, it would be a good idea to tell them you were in here for dealing in Nighthowlers?"
"No," the red fox snapped.
"Attitude," the argali warned.
His breath puffing him in and out a little, the fox shrugged. "I told him that yesterday someone stuck nighthowler pellets in my school locker and then called the cops on me."
The mountain sheep groaned. "And that was any different?"
"Yes, because even when they did get angry thinking I was covering up for dealing with those things, I pointed out that the predators in the howler crisis also had the things planted on them. -Just very fast."
The warden could only note that, like many teenagers, this fox was walking an odd tightrope between insightful intelligence and downright stupidity. "And they believed that?"
"They got it after I said that my father was a newspaper writer, and that maybe it was due to him being on the tail of some speciesist prey who wanted to throw him off the scent."
"Right, right," the argali said. "So you put yourself at risk by saying something you didn't need to, made up a new lie to maybe get you out of it, which didn't work as someone attacked you anyway…"
"That wasn't to do with the nighthowler stuff," Ash said, crossing his paws.
The warden just blinked, scowling. "So you decided to find or start trouble yourself then?"
"No, the goat did. He was teasing this coyote pup I came in with, so I stopped him."
"You attacked him," the argali growled.
"I put myself between them. Then the goat attacked me and…"
The mountain goat banged his hoof on the table. "If it hasn't escaped your notice, we put a lot of effort into keeping you safe. We also gave you some very simple advice. Head down, keep your tail out of trouble, don't try and be this tough mammal or anything as you don't have anything to prove. Or rather you do now as I want to know whether any of the effort we put in was worth it?"
The fox looked at him, twitching a bit. "Well if you were there what would you do?"
"I, a member of staff…"
"If you were in my position, you know what I mean."
The mountain sheep had to hold himself back from yelling. Of course he knew that they had to establish authority over their prisoners, those most deserving and those less so. At the same time, a good retort or argument that knifed its way down through their stoic armour was often far more effective than a blunt hammer of authority. In the end, a mix of both would work the best here.
"Do not take that tone with me, one more outburst will have you put on garbage duty. Something not nice for a mammal with a good nose like yours. Understand?"
The fox nodded.
"And secondly, knowing that you'll not take letting that inmate get wound up as an answer or calling the guards in for that effect, I'd have maybe encouraged the mammal you were trying to help to come over to you? In a public area, where guards might see it. Get that mammal out of trouble rather than throwing yourself into it?"
Ash's eyes widened and he nodded, glancing away. "That… Sounds surprisingly sensible."
"Yes, well done, I'm an adult and we have good advice. Ever thought of that?"
He nodded.
"Well, it's too late to undo you spilling what you're in for, so let's hope they actually believe what you said after." And with that, the warden waved him off.
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"Oh please not those too again…"
"They are good a'payin' customers. You a' serve them Sam!"
The otter sighed, grabbing the new food and drink and making her way over. What was it with her always getting the troublesome customers? The hippo and the pig she'd been dealing with were loud, they were now drunk, and worst of all?
She was a tiny little otter. She swore that if this stuff carried on she'd end up throwing out her back or something. Over she walked, coming up to them just as the hippo loudly finished off his conversation. "-So yeah, I mean she got out fast enough so no harm done right?"
"Right," the pig cheered, as she slipped in and put down the drinks. "And it kept all those critics off you."
"Oh yes," he smirked. "You know, I wish they knew they truth. Then they really couldn't accuse me of favouring my own kind."
"-Hah, to being an equal opportunities Asshole!"
The megafauna mammal swung out, grabbed his drink, and thrust it into the air. "I can drink to that!"
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Listening on to the radio in the car, Skye's ears perked up as the news came on. "Hang on, here we go," she said, leaning in as she turned it up.
"-Calls are growing for Zootopia District Attorney Kurt Wassermaim to resign today after an undercover video was released showing him boasting about deliberately charging an unknown hippo under scant evidence in order to deflect claims of biased behaviour in office. In the footage, the DA states that the prosecution of the mammal was only done in order to prove to his critics that he wasn't biased against predators, and was instead a focussed and critical targetter of crime, regardless of species. On being questioned this morning, the DA states that the fact he was forced to do such an action only proves the stupidity of, in his words, 'the species obsessive game' his critics have set up. And, that if they wanted equal prosecution of species, this was the end result and they cannot blame him for being forced to act out the end result of his agenda."
"-Regardless, the mayor's office have stated that they are consulting their lawyers and, if they conclude this is a breach of conduct, will fire him. This set back is in addition to the current controversy over the so called 'Anonymous Vulpine', where the DA insisted in imprisoning a young fox who had nighthowlers found in his locker without trial, stating the Nighthowler Act and its provisions overrode the Youth Justice Act. City councillors are currently undertaking a vote on whether to reaffirm the Youth Justice Act taking priority."
The vixen pumped her arm as the news carried on playing.
An hour or so later they cheered on the news the vote had passed.
Soon, in Predford city, they had the place to look for their weasel and were on their way. The radio from Zootopia had cut out at that point and the group carried on their journey up to the lake. Still, while scanning through some pictures online with Fenneko and getting an idea of where he was, the news came through that the DA had been fired.
Sure, he was going to sue the city in return, but the main point remained that Ash was getting out and that Damned Asshole was going away.
Still… How to play their next part.
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"I don't believe this!"
The giant river otter turned, looking at the serval. "He shouldn't have been here in the first place," he said, walking out.
"But no other mammal would have these mountains moved for them. Not for otters like you. Or servals like me," she ranted, paws thrown up above her. "But oh no, a fox! A fox! Let's protest and vote and change everything for a fox!"
"His father was in the newspapers or something," the otter shrugged, closing the door behind him. "He got lucky."
"Yeah right," the serval scowled, as the door shut. "But let me tell you this, all those foxes will have plenty of contacts. All in high enough places. It's only now that their paw is forced that they have to come out of the woodwork…"
On she talked and ranted, as if he was listening. Instead, walking through the education block he paused, knocking on the classroom door and looking on. "Ash Fox?" he asked, the kit looking up from his book.
"Yeah."
For a few seconds he thought about keeping it quiet, but then he thought he could have some fun. "You're getting out."
The room was silent for a second before it erupted into cheers, claps, whoops. The teacher gave him an annoyed look but it was worth it as the red fox practically bounded out to a hero's farewell. He froze at the threshold, turning around and pausing. "-I better not say see you soon." He got a bunch more whoops, then out he went, the otter leading him out.
"Suppose this is the best way," Terrance smirked.
"Well, I am getting out," Ash said. "It wasn't too bad."
The otter gave a chuckle. "I'm also pretty sure that for kids getting out the normal way they have some kind of hazing ritual or something. Happy to save you from that too."
The fox paused, almost looking like he was a bit annoyed he wasn't getting the full experience or something. Still, Terrance shook his head, soon bringing the fox into the pre-release room. The warden was standing there, explaining his father was on the way up and the fox took his clothes and slipped behind a curtain to get changed. Off the warden went to bring in his father, all while a door behind the otter opened.
He turned, eyes narrowing as he saw his college step in. "Well," she said, as the fox, back in his civilian clothes, stepped out. "Guess you got lucky for now. Still," she smirked. "See you soon."
His ears went back as she turned and walked out, the otter stepping up to him. "Don't listen to her," he said, keeping an eye out on the door behind. "Even if you are convicted, it's a non-violent crime." He held out and waved a paw. "So worst case you'll end up in a secure education centre. You'll probably get a weekend pass with good behaviour. And that's if you're convicted. So don't worry, okay?"
"Okay," he said, with maybe more nerves than he started with. Though all were brushed away as his father entered the room, the fox racing up to him and holding him tight.
The otter stepped back, giving them space for the emotional moment.
"See, we said a week tops," his father smirked. "Seems we worried you too much there."
Ash just stepped back, brushing himself down and shrugging. "Well, it wasn't that bad."
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Sitting down in the forest, Duke paused as he heard the sound of paws scrabbling over the forest floor and heavy set panting. Stepping out of his seat, he began to make his way around the front of his camper,only for something to slam into him knocking him back. "WHATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOIN' WHY…" He began, only to feel a paw slam on his muzzle, shushing him. He was pushed back into his van, his eyes only now focussing on the mammal in front of him.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhh…" The hare hushed, the weasel frowning. Who… Who was this?
Slowly, the hare released his grip on the weasel's muzzle, ears down and keeping a panicked gaze scanning about. "Okay, think they're not right on my tail, but keep quiet. They're after you more than me."
The weasel blinked. "Who?" He said, shaking his head. Who was this!?
"That Kazar mammal that got busted weeks back for the howlers. Some of the mammals he was working with are still out there, and they're trying to claim back the howlers the cops didn't get. Including the ones you stole." The weasel blinked.
"WHAT!?"
"Shhhhh…" Jack hushed again, paw closing down Duke's muzzle again. "Listen you idiot, ever since you planted a bunch of those things in a kits locker for what… Him messing up your last day of community service or something, they've been clocking that it was you who did it." He pushed a claw into the weasel's chest. "And now those big cats are hunting down anyone who might have anything to do with you, it, or I don't know what!"
He scanned around again before pulling weasel into the small camper. "Dammit," he groaned, "I work for your cousin once, and now we're ALL guilty by association. You better get me out of here or…"
He was thrown back by the weasel, Duke's fur on end. "Okay, if this is a damn prank by my cousin then well…"
The whole vehicle shook, Duke's eyes going wide as, with a grunt, it was lifted off the ground. "Okay you two," came a voice. "That was fun!" It chirped, before becoming cartoonishly menacing. "But play time is over, you've coming with us."
Thrown into the back, clothes, bedding, cutlery and trash half covering them, the hare and weasel felt the camper shake they were carried out.
"Cuss, cuss, cuss," was all Jack could say, before turning to Duke and hissing. "That one found us. Now if you have any of those howlers left now would…"
"WHAT HOWLERS!?" the weasel yelped, practically bug eyed as he gripped his ears. "WHAT FOX KIT! WHAT MAMMALS! THIS IS ALL A PRANK, RIGHT!?"
"-If you think the fancy hole in your forehead was bad last time," the voice from outside said, "you're gonna love the ones we've giving you two this time."
"AW CRAP! AW CRAP AW CRAP LISTEN!" Duke yelled, turning to them. "I DON'T DO NOTHING WITH HOWLERS! WHAT FOX KIT! WHAT HOWLERS!? PLEASE! YOU GOT THE WRONG MAMMAL GUYS! YOU GOT…"
"Okay," Jack said out loud, ears falling. "It isn't him."
Duke froze, turning to the weasel and shrugging all as the camper was place back down. "-Okay," he smiled, "now, if you'll give me just a moment to explain it all, and keeping in mind you do have an extradition clause against you so we'll just call the cops if you run…"
"Extra… CAN I JUST ENJOY A BREAK IN PEACE!?" Duke yelled, marching off, to the door, swinging it open and coming face to face with a fennec with a bat.
"Yo, actor hare. Your mate really CAN'T act. You know that?"
Duke turned his head back to Jack and groaned. "I ain't getting out of whatever stupid Wilde came up with this time, right!?"
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"I mean, I am fine," Ash insisted, crossing his arms. "I went to prison for a few days. Got into a scuffle. Got out. I don't need to be babysat you know?"
Dr Amy nodded slowly. It didn't seem defiant, or defensive. Just… Casual. Which was likely a good thing. It was a distressing event but one that was thankfully resolved, if for now. "But how do you feel about the fact you're still likely to be charged for the case? You might still go back in? That has to weigh on your mind, surely?"
He frowned. "Well now that you put it in there, yes."
She just nodded to that.
"-But yeah, my lawyer says that they can argue it's circumstantial." He huffed a little. "My friends and family thought they knew who did it, but they're now pretty sure he didn't. Even tricked him into coming back to Zootopia, saying there was an extradition thing out for him, not that it was there yet. He was interviewed, tried his best to come up with some idea of who did it or something. And…"
He trailed off.
"And?"
"And nothing has really come of it."
She nodded.
He kicked his heels. "But I mean they say they can argue me out of it. There's as much of a chance someone put it there as me…" His ears tilted back. "Though I probably will be expelled by my school…"
"And that makes you feel?" she asked.
He scrunched his muzzle up. "Well it'll be a pain in the tail for a start…"
On he went. No red flags, but almost too much of a stress on green flags? It was hard to tell. She reassured him that it was okay to be scared, or want advice, help, protection. He nodded, said he was handling it.
And with that he let him out.
She listened on as his cousin approached him, naturally trying to be there for him, naturally being a bit too much.
Like always, keep an eye on him. Better to be a bit too overbearing sometimes than to let him slip through a net.
She hoped.
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Ash sat back in his bed, sighing.
It was only when a knock on the door came that he raised his head, looking over. "Can I come in?"
Recognising the voice, Ash nodded. "Yeah."
And with that it opened, Nick walking in. "Hey there Mr…" He drew in a breath and made a spitting noise, Ash smiling. "I was just visiting the godson and, you know…"
"Yeah," Ash said, looking down. "It's still hard to believe."
"Well, I know you're strong, mature… It'll be hard, but you can get through."
"Well, of course I can."
"Hey," Nick said softy, "no need to be Mr Super-Brave here…"
"Yeah, but I want to be."
"Just making sure," Nick winked, before sitting down on the desk on the lower half of the bed.
"But yeah… I'll get through it."
"And I suppose," the older fox mused. "If there is a silver lining… It really does help your defence."
He stood up, looking down. "She didn't do it. I don't care if she's Bellwether's niece or whatever, she didn't do it."
"And I believe you," Nick said, holding back a little.
…
"Do you?" Ash said. "Or after they were found in her locker, is that just guilty right away."
He shrugged. "Was it for you?"
The red fox sat back in his bed. "I've seen the things people have been saying online. About her, about sheep…"
"And you know it's wrong," Nick said.
"Yeah, but mammals are still doing it," he growled. "Here, Outback Island."
Nick nodded. Found in a dingo's locker, but with a tuft of a sheep students' wool alongside it. Catano had been out there, apparently the dingo family accused the sheep of trying to frame him and the sheep vice versa… The fox could only grimace, the wounds of that summer years passed seemed to be reopening.
"Whatever happens," Nick said. "We'll all do our best." He paused, looking up. "If we need help, you'll be there?"
The red fox paused, sitting up and turning down. "You need help?"
"Me or Carrots or your parents or cousin," Nick waved off. "You'll help us then, right?"
Ash nodded. "Yes."
Nick just smiled, giving a two-finger salute and wave off. Good to hear.
Ash smiled back. He was feeling better. Stepping out down with Nick, he paused as his phone buzzed. He frowned. Another message from Beavis, teasing about him being the prison fox. His absolute favourite new joke source to tap.
He was gonna have to block him or something.
Really, that was the worst part of all of this.
Sometimes, he thought that stupid groundhog had just lucked out more than he could ever imagine.
