Chapter 26

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"Does this article convince you that I am an officer of the law? Or how about this one? Or…"

"Fine," the Alaskan marmot groaned. "You convinced me. Go in, see what you can find."

Carmelita strode past the irritating little rodent and, after making her way through to the back rooms of Floe Street station, a few taps on the keyboard and she was soon speeding through the screens to see if she could spot any brown bear making their way through. Given how it had only been a few hours since she saw him, it wouldn't take long to survey all the critical cameras. And indeed, it didn't, as she soon spotted that there was no sign of him. Well, it had only been a long shot to begin with.

"Well, enjoy yourself?" the mammal snarked, walking back in.

"Sí," Carmelita nodded. "Up until you arrived."

"Not found what you're looking for, have you?"

"No," she said, logging off. "Now, if you excuse me, I'll be on my way."

"Uh-hu," he began, "Though, if you just wait a sec in there. I might…" Carm paused in the doorway of the back office area, watching as the station manager nosied around a bit before finally stepping back out. "No, sorry, my bad there."

Carm studied him for a second. "Thought you had something useful?"

"-No," came a curt and to the point voice from behind her. "He was looking to see if anything of note was missing."

Carm turned, blinking as she saw a small fennec fox standing beside her, wrapped up complete with ear-hats and currently scrolling through her phone.

"I never," he began, marching back out. "Who even are you?"

"The mammal you asked to investigate the quote 'the vixen who claims she's a cop and seems to have evidence, but is dressed like a bimbo and it's not like websites are hard to set up anyhow.'"

His mouth hit the floor. "You…"

"Wait," Carm began. "You didn't trust a fox to be a cop… so you hired a fox to investigate a fox?"

"I didn't know she was a fox."

"That's true, and also you burying yourself deeper," the fennec said, still focussed on her phone. "F-R-O investigative services and social media consultants. He contacted us based on one of our online ads on furbook, we then quickly informed him that you were legit, before we came out here ourselves to see the dumpster fire end to this and his meltdown for ourselves."

"Why you scheming little…" he growled.

"We did our service exactly as you said," she smiled. "I don't see what the problem is there."

"I… I want my money back!"

"What for?"

"You… you hurt my feelings!"

"Speaking of that," she began, looking up. "I think it goes both ways, so I think we can depart here and never speak ill of this again. Otherwise, I might have to leak your secrets as retaliatory measures."

His eyes narrowed. "What secrets?"

"The particular things you search online while acting all macho with your girlfriend."

"You're just making that up."

"Am I? Really?"

"You've got nothing."

"Sure. Believe that."

"I… I always use incognito mode."

She looked up and smiled. "We have our ways."

"I… Now listen here you little…" He was broken off by a tap on his shoulder, turning around to see the stone etched face of a black-shade specked fennec todd looking up for him. It almost counteracted the fluffy clothes he was wearing and made him look cool.

The baseball bat he had did most of the talking though. "My vix should listen to what, bro?"

"I…" he looked around, before darting between the two vixens. "Sorry. Sorry. I'll leave a good review." He began sulking back in, only for the todd to hold him off.

"Wait."

"Uhhh," he muttered, watching as the fennec scribbled something out and handed it to him.

"We believe that even though you hate that you lean that way, you do lean that way, and you're self aware enough to know that leaning that way is the least embarrassing aspect of this." He patted him on the shoulder. "Trust me, you can trust him not to speak a word about it."

The confused little rodent picked up the note and then crumpled it up, throwing it in the bin. "I don't know what you're even talking about."

And with that he shut the door, the male fennec bursting into laughter, almost keeling over. The female on the other paw. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…"

"What…" Carm began, only for the vixen to turn up to her.

"I'd assume you'd be supportive of intra-vulpine solidarity."

"I am… but…"

"Ah," the male fennec said. "I think you've just gone and bamboozled her."

"I tend to have that effect," she said, tapping away at her phone before looking up. "Walk and talk?"

"Okay," Carm said. "I am on duty…"

"As are we. I'm currently reviewing a new customer's social media marketing strategy and noting just all the ways that young mammals will mock it, and instructing them on how to make them even more glaring."

"¿Qué?"

"Let me put it this way," the fennec todd said. "They don't care if mammals take the mick. They just want the clicks."

"Precious, precious, clicks," his vixen added.

"And you are?"

"Well," he said, "please allow me to introduce ourselves. We're foxes of wealth and good taste."

"Are you now?"

"With her as my vix, can you even argue?"

Carm wasn't sure if that had the effect on her that he'd intended, though it certainly seemed to have the effect on the phone scrolling vixen that he wanted. She watched her blush and glow a bit, especially as he gave a purr, before shaking it off. "As I said," she carried on. "F-R-O social media investigators and consultants."

"F-R-O meaning…?"

"Fennecs Rule, Okay."

"Right," she said.

"I mean was it ever in doubt?" the todd asked, giving her a very flirty wink. "Ah, anyhow, all happened as we said. We got contacted by him asking to confirm if you were legit or not. And while we don't turn down no honest work, we thought a little honest payback was in kind too."

"Hence the… thing about 'the thing'," Carm said, smiling. "Of course, I know that strategy, it is a classic of intimidation…"

"-Especially with his secret interests," the vixen said, setting off her todd into a fit of laughter again.

Carm scratched her cheek. "So that note was…"

"Something he'll probably now be unscrunching, reading, and entering into his list of phone numbers before pondering for hours on end whether he's gonna make the jump and call it or not."

"Not that it matters," the male fennec chuckled, before laughing. "At least according to someone who's gonna be awful confused. Ha, ha, ha… You know, if it actually turns out…"

"Highly unlikely," the vixen brushed aside. "But highly entertaining nonetheless."

"Right," Carm brushed off. "All a bunch of fun, games and pranks to you."

"Pretty much," the fennec waved off. "And foxes getting mammals on behalf of others."

"The thought is appreciated, but I can handle my own fights thank you very much," Carm said.

"Indeed, as long as you're aware of them," the vixen said. "Which is the other reason I thought it might be worth popping in to meet you."

Carm paused. "Which is."

The fennec vixen passed up her phone, Carm scrolling through the furbook feed. A list of memes and posts were displayed. 'ZPD on the hunt for YOUR CHILDREN!' 'Police are mindless sheep, and evil as Bellwether' 'Police planning to take away your freedom.' The interpol officer just snorted. "That's just regular anti-police stuff," she said, scanning through some more. "You always get it, wherever you go."

"Look closer."

Carm's eyes narrowed. 'ZPD frames mammals for abusing kits, then abuses the kits!' 'ZPD arrests innocents to torture, share nighthowler infused blood drink as part of predosavage cult while draining their brains to make them into mindless sheepy drones, you could be next.' 'When they arrest a paedo, the pictures all get sent to Chief Bogo'. Carm snorted. "Okay, it is stupid mindless anti-police stuff. And that's concerning how?"

"I know a conceited social media campaign when I see one," the fennec vixen said. "And I'm seeing one."

"Yeah, some loco is defo trying to send these all out and get mammals to know about it," the male fox said, scratching the base of one of his ears. "And I mean, I was saying it was probs for the lulz…"

"But as we were coming here anyway, we thought we might warn you."

Carm nodded, scratching under her muzzle. "It's appreciated, I guess. But it's not like anyone is dumb enough to believe that."

They both turned to her. "You really think that?"

"Sí," she said. "Well, not enough to be any problem or anything."

"Eh, we'll see about that," the fennec vixen said, turning and making off with her todd. "See you around when the scat inevitably hits the fan."

The todd turned around and winked. "I'll bring my bat."

Carm watched them go before shaking her head and making her way back to her cruiser. Honestly, and she had to forgive herself for saying this, "Aye aye-aye…"

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Meanwhile, a singular fox sat alone in a nook of a tree, slowly whittling away the hours by whittling down some arrows. They wouldn't really be useful for anything, but given the long portions of time he'd usually spend alone and waiting, he found that he had to find something to keep him occupied.

Normally a lot of that would involve spending time in particularly well to do areas, first off identifying those with especially large sums of money on their persons who ideally were stinking unlikable and certainly didn't deserve it, or at the least wouldn't be impacted by its loss and were actively neutral on and thus passively complicit in the injustices of the world. Second off he'd perform one of his patented fundraising operations on them to liberate some of their capital, and finally he'd redistribute it to those lower down on the socio-economic ladder.

Alas, given just how high stakes things were getting at present, he felt that such simple operations would be putting themselves at too much risk. It was akin to spending the run-up to D-Day directing the air force for some rag-a-tag civilian bombing runs. Yes, chances were there wouldn't be a giant surprise disaster, but then again…

The crunching of leaves on the floor broke him from his reverie and he turned, looking along the small steep sided valley he was in and up to see a large brown bear coming down, a vixen in tow. "Mam," the former groaned, "taxi costs in this city."

Jumping down, the vixen made her way along an old rusting iron rail that cut through the weeds, glancing back up at the bear and then at the todd. "Honestly the least of our worries."

The todd nodded, tail flicking. "How bad was it?"

"How bad?" the bear asked. "How about having to face off against you know who, with a bunch of polar bears at his side, and a police vixen getting stuck in the middle."

The todd's ears went up. "Both the good and the bad getting stuck into this one."

The bear nodded. "And don't think about saying 'the ugly' too, as that'll pretty much fall on me."

"Oh, don't play yourself down there old pal…"

"And don't insult my intelligence. If I ain't the ugly, then she is, and I know you'd never have the guts to do that."

"Oh I don't know," the vixen smirked at her ursid companion. "You haven't seen one of my moods. He has."

"Ah darling," the todd swooned. "They're when you're at your most ravishing."

She blushed at that, only for the bear to cut in. "Get a room you two," he huffed.

"Can't," the fox waved off. "Rigged property market. And anyway, maybe the ugly bit comes from the tactics we use. We do fight dirty. After all, it does get results. -You did get results, right?"

The two looked at each other. "Well…" the bear began.

"Kind of," the vixen added.

"Actually, not really… But speaking of dirty tactics and intel, we did learn that foxes don't like getting hit on the head with chunks of rock!"

"Ouch," the fox todd winced. "You didn't…"

"I don't think," he said, huffing. "I mean, don't get me wrong I know he's a total scumbag, but actually…"

"No, I get you," the todd waved off. "I feel the same way."

"If it's any consolation," the vixen piped in, "he was trying to shoot that cop at the time. So if we get brought in for that, we'd be getting off there."

"Huh," the bear chuckled. "If we get brought in, that's the least of our worries. And the cops will be aware of us now, for certain."

"But not who we are. Yet. So, we stick closer to the shadows," he said, beginning to lead them off.

The vixen nodded. "So, no wanted posters up yet. Shame, I was looking forward to seeing Marian up there with Robin and John."

"Ah, my dear, the novelty shall wear off quickly," Robin said, as they approached a tall and narrow black brick tunnel up in front of them, the portal sealed off with metal grating. He began undoing some of the bolts, opening it up. "And hopefully we can avoid it by using our new recruit to work in the light."

"Yeah," the bear said, as he bent out one of the panels and ducked inside. "While we were busy fighting for our lives and fleeing across a forest in a blizzard, how did your talk with a single small weasel go?"

"Oh, very well thanks," Robin said as the vixen entered the shelter too. The bear snorted.

"Typical…"

"In fact," the todd said, pausing as a beeping came out. Reaching down into his pocket, he brought out a cheap burner phone and held it up to his ear. "Ah, any news to report."

His ears twerked down a bit as he listened in.

"Okay… I mean, not to disparage the poorest and most vulnerable in society and their years of suffering from deliberate undereducation and resultant demammalisation, but how much stupider than I could ever possibly imagine?"

Across the city, in a dingy flat roofed eatery in the middle of Happytown Heights, Duke Weaselton stepped out of the bathroom, taking a relieved breath. Still-on phone hidden away, he sat back down at a table. "Can you go over it from the top?"

A baggy eyed swift fox vixen tilted her head, the light catching the numerous lines on her face and many thinned patches of her greying fur. "Why…? Weren't you listening?"

"No…" Duke said before groaning. "I was a big dumb weasel yadda-yadda who wasn't paying attention. Can you start over?."

"Yeah you're a big dumb weasel," she snarked, bringing her phone up. "Then again, only the most intelligent mammals can understand this. Like me. I know that as it says so." She brought up her email again: "Soldiers against kit attacking mammals in government. They're trying to scrub out our sacred instincts and make us learn their inferior own. We need only the bravest and smartest as knights in our crusade. You know what they're doing, you have always known, work it out and spread the word. Only the smartest mammals can do that, especially you."

She looked back to Duke. "Obviously that means me, not you, as you weren't able to work it out."

"Yes, you're very smart.".

"ZPD stealing and reeducation of mammals in anti-natural fashion will be interrupted by resistance. Enemies aim attack noble victims, corrupt alphas demand more children taken, sacrificed, turned into agents and drones. Good mammals must champion red furred resistor. Spread word of those who fight back, they are heroes. Only smartest will get it, write out and show so followers will see you for the leader you are. First resistance on anniversary of DBW first entering of government. The reclaiming of Zootopia will win. All for freedom and justice, united."

Duke cleared his throat. "And…?"

"And!? Don't you see it? Well of course you don't, you're an idiot. The city taking our mammals for decades, our kits, my daughter," she growled, gripping her phone. "They took her years ago and did this to her. Because they want to break us, they want to make her and all the others into corrupt agents. Sending them to 'good' mammals to raise them, 'better' mammals." She spat on the ground. "Better at training them to be judgmental hateful scum who think they're better than their own kind! More than a fox. My daughter was trained to look at me and despise it, despise everything that makes her a fox and think she's better than what we are!"

"What, exactly?"

The vixen just growled. "Think's she's too good for our way of life, thinks she's one of those preyish elites, she looks down at her own mother. It's like sheepification conspiracy all over again. But screw her, she's just a worthless traitor to her species now, working for them, but I'm not gonna let it happen to others." She waved her phone around. "I'm smart enough that I can help this spy in their corrupt ranks. We're gonna take them on, Bogo and his ilk. When they bust kiddy fiddlers and take their pictures, who keeps them, huh?" She carried on tapping her phone. "I've already got all my furbook friends following. And my amazing research skills discovered that today is the date that Dawn Bellwether first got elected to the Meadowlands' Ewefields ward as a councillor. Hah, that's what he meant by DBW first infection of our government. Only a genius like me could have worked that out, he knows it, I know it, and when I'm proven right all my followers will. I've been waiting all day for when the first red furred resistor escapes their clutches… Well, we'll see who's an unsuitable mother then!"

"Right, sure," Duke sighed, about to turn the phone off, only for her to jump up.

"OMG! OMG! WHAT DID I SAY!? WHAT! DID! I! SAY!"

Before he could ask, she thrust her phone into Duke's face. "Dingo campaigner accuses ZPD of revenge targeting son?"

"The first red furred resistor," she said, typing away at her phone. "On the anniversary of Dawn Bellwether's first ever election to office. I worked it out. I worked it out! I'm a frickin' genius and I'm gonna save those kits from the evil in government and everyone is gonna know how smart I am." She pressed send, sniggering. "Ha, seems like there's a lot of other smart mammals in our group too. And plenty more wising up. Those scum think we're powerless, huh? Well, the judgement is coming. The judgement is coming." She began tapping onward, a fire in her eyes, only to pause as she looked up at Duke. "Hey!, are you with us, or evil?"

"Ummm…" He began, acting casual. "Okay, you convinced me, you convinced me." She turned back to her phone, Duke slipping out of the cafe. Finding a seat between two barren planters, the trees inside bent, damaged, and scraggly, he sat down on a worn bench, his own phone back to his ear. "Yeah, you got all that?"

His ears went back.

"Yeah," he scoffed. "I said it was that stupid, and…" He paused, blinking. "What do you mean, 'right up his alley'. And what do you mean 'that bad?'"

…

"I mean, I will… But I don't think my brain will enjoy it.".

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"Hit fast! Hit fast! Now turn and move!"

Hearing his order, Haida jumped back before side-stepping, circling around the big panda currently instructing him. It had been tough, it had been hard, but he was enjoying it. Be scrappy, lean on your strengths, and when it came down to it deploy those ancient techniques with lightning efficiency.

Po came in with a standard punch, straight for the mid-chest level, and Haida responded by going for a weave and dive up into his elbow. He felt the furry fist swish passed him and made the jab into the vulnerable point. If this were a kung fu movie, he'd then lever the big bear above and over and hard onto the floor.

Of course this wasn't a kung fu movie and there was no way he could do that to a massive panda.

So instead he pulled back his arm, darted to the side, and took another jab right up into the other shoulder nook.

"Oooooh!" Po grunted, as it connected. But the big bear did not fall or topple, instead pulling his paws up and showing his pads out. "Great. Now show me your punches."

Haida shot one in, then another, and was soon going high, going low, much to the encouragement of his tutor. "That's great! Now try and give it some extra oomph by putting your whole body into it!"

"What, like this?" Haida asked, almost running forward to charge up a punch.

"Nope," the panda said, as one paw absorbed the punch and drew it in, before closing tight. Haida's battle fever faded like a water drop on a hot sand beach as he found himself right up next to his opponent with nowhere else to go or even raise up another punch. "As what you gonna do now?"

"Ehhhh…" He murmured, before he pulled his right leg up and gave a powerful swan kick straight into Po's gut. The panda hadn't been expecting that, and even stumbled back one step, before his pained grunt morphed into pure grit. He pushed forward, both with his step and with his stomach, and with a sudden boing the hyena felt his own leg getting kicked back at his faster than he could withdraw it. Not sure what to do, he tried to push further in and ride with the kick, only for it to be way too late. No sooner was his other foot starting to kick off, his heel began grinding and skidding against the floor. A futile hop, then a stumble, and with arms cartwheeling Haida toppled onto his back with a thud.

Groaning, shifting up, a black paw grabbed his and helped him to his feet. "That kick was GREAT!" Po said, patting Haida on the back.

"Thanks," he huffed. "So was your, a, belly bounce."

"Yeah, it has many uses," the panda said. "And were I another mammal, you'd have been in a great spot after that." He paused, his mouth going askew. "Though, given that I was pausing to tutor you there rather than actually pulling you in for the defeat you might not have gotten the chance to even do it." He shrugged. "Oh well. But the main thing is always be thinking on your toes and ready. You could have bounced off of that and landed and been ready to keep going at it, but you were too late."

"Right, it's working on speed," Haida nodded.

"Speed, and power," the panda continued, walking on. Suddenly his fist shot forward. "Spedanpowr!"

Looking on, Ash nodded. "And always being on your toes, going around, keeping them guessing?"

"Yeah, that too. It is situational. I mean, you're doing great, but you wouldn't have been able to do what your hyena friend did. Train him up, and he might be a real knocker-outter match for me in time."

"Yeah, totally," Haida smirked.

"-If you work on those punches," the panda carried on.

"So if it's not stepping forward with them," he pondered. "Is it twisting your body with them?" He tried it, shoulders twisting and arms swinging out and around with them.

"Uh-hu," Po nodded. "That kind of idea, but you want your arms to be extending out straight. That way, you get both your shoulder and your elbow working together."

"Right, like…" He gave it a shot, his fist sailing forward.

"Yeah, that's getting there," Po said, before turning to Ash. "Now you try."

Breathing in, breathing out, Ash made two fists and shot out one "Hyaaa…" Then another. "Hyaaa!".

"Uh-hu, getting there," Po said, two thumbs up.

The younger red fox nodded.

"Yeah," Haida agreed. "What now?"

"Well," Po said, looking off to the door. "It has been a while. We might want to check in with your silverfox friend."

"Yeah," Haida agreed, looking down at Ash. "I get what you said about giving him time to cool off, and him being smart enough to come back if he knows he needs support that way, but…"

"I guess," Ash said, slipping through the ropes, soon followed by the rest. Sniffing forward, he quickly followed his scent trail, at first one way, but then taking a sharp turn the other, back towards the entrance.

"Uhhh," Po said. "I hope he hasn't left. I really hope he hasn't left. I really should have been there and…"

"Listen, I know my cousin, it's what he'd have wanted," Ash said, pausing and raising his ears. "I think I hear him practising."

"Really?" Haida asked. "I mean, that's good. But I wonder with who…"

Po scratched his head a little as they turned the corner, only to then blink in surprise, a smile then forming on his mouth.

Out in the main courtyard of the complex, in the shadow of the pagoda tower, Kris and Tigress practiced together side by side. Kicks, sweeps, punches, twists. Her words were brief, and quick. "Tail straight behind, keep it out of their sight." He did just that. "Keep it up, you can get through the burn." They moved fast, him following her moves so quickly it almost seemed they were synchronous. "Now aim for my targets." They turned to face each other as she presented her palms. One punch, two punch, she moved it under her chin and he gave a cobra like upper cut. One over her kidney, the other by her throat, he gave a kick and a punch. "Now dodge and block my shots." A fist came out and, stepping aside slightly, he pushed it away, twisting around. "You've presented yourself," she warned as her other fist came in. He ducked down, one arm sweeping up to send it over while he snapped in, giving a sharp but reserved punch to her side. "Good." She was already coming in to grab him, but he was now darting around her, quick moves and punches aimed at her weak spots or at pushing her arms away. Finally, she jumped and turned, letting her tail cut in and try and thwack him. He pounced over it, leapt up, and bent over so he could shoot both arms out and into her gut.

She stepped back from that, as he landed back into a ready stance, breathing in, breathing out, a steady grin on his face.

Tigress looked at it, before letting one grow on hers too. "You did well, student. Though a long time since your last session, you're not that out of practice. Your form, your awareness, it's all excellent."

"Thank you, master," he smiled.

"Still, there's space to work on," she instructed. "Bits here, bits there, for instance when you pulled my punch over you." She pulled back and presented it, letting Kris take up the position. "If you re-enact it." Which he did. "Stop there." She let go, looking at the half bent arm. "You can either pull it back fast and parallel," she moved his arm down and guided it through the motion. "That puts your opponent at a disadvantage. Their main weapon is out of place, and you're close and in striking can still get you quickly, but you can attack faster." She then replayed it, this time windmilling his arm up and out. "Or if you do it this way, you release near the top of the arc. You want it to still have plenty of the upward momentum as well as the forward. You'll be taking longer to strike, so you need it out of the way longer."

He nodded. "And what I did was a bad compromise between the two."

"That's correct," she said. "We can work on it next time."

"Thank you," he said, giving a little bow. Tigress, smiling, gave one back, and then watched as Kris walked over to the other three. All were happy, especially Po.

"Tigress? Kris? Teacher, student, I didn't expect it but I like it!"

"I like it too," Kris said, a big smile on his face.

"So…" the panda said. "You'll be coming back to practice with her?"

"Uh-hu, I think I will."

"GREAT!" He cheered. "And of course, we can practice together, we can spar together, I mean you two will be learning different styles so seeing those two mesh will be all kinds of cool, especially when with throw a bit of hyena in there…"

He carried on gushing a bit, as Kris made his way over to his cousin. Ash just had a smile on his face. Small, smug, but proud. And to that, Kris looked a bit bashful. A very unusual look for him, but he didn't mind.

After all, today had been a good day.

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"Well today was… something," Nick groaned, flopping back onto his sofa. Half undressed, he gave a weary sigh, only to pause as he felt a slight bump down below. Drawing up his remaining reserves of energy, he somehow managed the laborious task of lifting his head, turning it around a little to the side, and rotating his eyeballs down so that they could focus on a certain equally exhausted bunny.

Like him she had been exhausted. In fact, too exhausted to even complain of him being a sofa hog. Instead she just sat on the floor, head resting against the cushion and the rest of her slumping down in just her undergarments.

The deep blue crop top and boy shirts, with obligatory carrot print design, certainly got Nick's tail starting to wag. But, as she pulled up a mug of tea in one paw, the item in the other got the fox sighing with relief. "You're a life saver, Fluff."

"Yup…" she said, flicking the tv remote on. A few scrolls through and she found a particular channel that just so happened to enjoy playing the re-runs of a particular show. And with that, the pair began idly half-paying attention to old Petflix reruns of TV's Fuzzy Justice and half focussing on vegetating their cares away.

There was a long silence, until the next ad break, at which point the tea seemed to have revived Judy a little. "How you feeling Nick?"

"Like I've just come out of a whirlwind tour."

"Uh-hu," she said. "Do you think that's their actual strategy?"

He slowly raised an eyebrow. "What is?"

"Tiring us out," she said. "Sending us this way, that way, until we're so exhausted we can't do anything."

Nick glanced off into the distance ahead of him for a moment before sparing a glance back. "There are other cops you know."

…

"Yeah, I'd forgotten about that," Judy said, sipping some more of her tea.

"And I'm good thanks."

"Huh?"

"The issues we talked about," he said. "I think I'm okay with them."

"Good for you."

"Yeah, and…"

"Shhhh, starting again."

"Right," he said.

Judy nodded, a smile returning on her face. Now, she remembered this one, certainly. "Ah, good times."

.

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"Good time dear?"

Ash looked up at his mother and nodded. "Yes. Not what I was expecting, but it was fun."

Felicity smiled, if being a bit fidgety at the same time. "What about Kris?"

"He found someone to connect with," the younger fox replied, walking over to the stairs.

"Oh, that's good," his mother sighed with relief.

"In fact, we're going there tomorrow, and the day after that, and so on."

The vixen paused. "And who's paying for that?"

"They are, they're doing it pro-bono."

"I see…"

"Uh-hu, and they have free schedules. Honestly, I don't know why more things aren't like them." And with that he skirted off up the stairs, leaving an increasingly fidgety Mrs Fox in the living room.

A few seconds passed and she shook her head. "Disturbing you be damned," she said, walking over to the door and stairway that led down to the kitchen area, and the underground levels beneath that. Before getting to it though it swung wide open, Mr Fox walking briskly out, Rowan hanging from his teeth, paws curled up and tongue poking out.

"He better be hungry," she said, taking him swiftly from him and returning to her seat.

A few gurgles and some soft digging motions at her chest seemed to suggest that, and the vixen sighed with relief as she began shifting off one of the straps of her dress.

Mr Fox meanwhile had his feet up and notebook out, as he wrote down a few things.

"Novels, poems or mischief?"

"Huh?" he asked, looking over to his wife as she started feeding the small kit.

"I presume those are the three main reasons why you've been down there all day?"

"I assure you, no, as you define it, mischief going on," Mr Fox said. "Instead, I can assure you that I, Frederick Fox, has completed his quote-unquote character development metaphorically off-screen and is content with himself."

"So you've been writing?" she asked.

"Arguably, yes!"

"Should I be worried?"

"Would doing so break the rules you have set me about proving I am not merely looking for external validation and fame?"

"It depends."

"On?"

"Pen name or not," she said, moving Rowan around a little.

There was a pause. "Do you paint under a brush name?"

"No."

"Then if I were to write is it not fair that I get to write under my own?"

"Freddy?"

"Yes dear."

"Are you listening to that vixen or not?"

"If by that you mean I'm not getting any more involved with that wolf and stuff going forward, yes."

"Then do what you're doing."

"Why thank you."

"After explaining what loophole you intend to abuse."

"Loophole my dear?" he asked. "I merely finished up some investigations I was doing beforepaw and now have officially wrapped it up. In fact, during all of it I have been exemplary at non-glory chasing. As I say, character-arc complete, and the fact it's out of the public eye and no-one knows what it is and thus I can get no public glory for it is only further proof of my success! Praise, unnecessary. Now, if you excuse me, I have a potential big newspaper article to write based on it all."

"Which is where the glory will come from."

"My dear," he said, looking over. "Name but one newspaper author you would describe as famous, brilliant, glorious and quite fantastic."

"What about the one sitting across from me?"

A smile grew across his muzzle. "Unfortunately taken out of the prime of his action by a devilish hustler."

"Oh really?"

"Indeed. One so cunning, so devious, no mammal could have escaped her clutches."

"Is that so?"

"Yes my dear," he said, "you see, you're so beautiful and charming that no mammal could have ever resisted you. Least of all me."

"Am I so beautiful and charming you're willing to give up your flights of fancy and attempt to be the big hero that everyone is amazed at."

"My dear," he said, walking over and snuggling up next to her. "If I were to tell you how much I've given up trying to be the big hero that everyone is amazed at for you, then that would defeat the entire purpose."

"Well, before this naturally explodes with whatever stupid thing you've done in the background, let me just say that it's good to see you acting sensible for a change."

"I always act sensible."

She rolled her eyes. "Says the big hero wannabe."

"Ah, the big hero wannabe is overrated," he waved off. "I've heard that it's already well abandoned in the younger generation."

"And here you are saying you don't keep up with fashion."

"Tcchhh," he said, shaking his head and giving a big grin. "What do I have to do to please you?"

"Be my husband."

"Oh that?" he asked, giving a smile. "I can certainly do."

.

.

"Your big hero wannabe is HERE!"

Retsuko hid her blush as Haida walked into the room and punched off a few action poses, running back and around, showing off his skills. Something made all the harder by the small size of her room, not that he didn't put in the effort.

"So, what you think Retsuko!" he said, finishing in a big action pose.

Her already mostly red face somehow looking significantly redder, the small red panda looked off into the corner of the room, the end of her muzzle puckered into a tightly wound grin. "It's…"

"It's…"

She raised a finger slightly. "A-bit-O-T-T…"

He blinked at that, mouth gaping out wide before he shook it closed again. "Eh, well you can think that," he said, head up, eyes closed, and an open palm held out in what some might call the explaida pose. "But I still think it's pretty cool. And I'm doing this for me at the end of the day, after all."

"Yeah," she said, stifling a little giggle. "I guess you are enjoying it."

"Oh yeah, and the two fox kits are too. It's nice to see them having a good time."

Retsuko nodded. "Yeah, sounds good. I actually met Kabae earlier today with her children."

"Awww, that's… -not nice," he said, looking at the change in her mood.

"Yeah," she sighed, head in paws. "You know her gossip before?"

"Yeah. I was there when it just started going into crazy conspiracies," Haida said, rolling his eyes. "Say, heard the one where Outback Island doesn't exist as you've never been and never met anyone who's been."

"I know someone who's been."

"Well in that case they're in on it."

"Ugh…" the panda groaned. "At first it was hologram-mountains this and airplane-contrails that. Now she's on about how the ZPD and city elites are all part of a cult that wants to take away kits and turn them into 'neo-carnivorist savages' or something."

Haida gave a distinct shiver. "That sounds like Bellwether's old super supporters finding a new thing."

"Didn't you vote for her?"

"That's why I added super in front of support," he clarified, eyes closed and a finger up.

"Uh-hu," she said, relaxing. "You know, maybe I should try picking up something like that."

"What, martial arts?" Haida asked.

"Yeah!" she said. "Like, the nunchucks! Protein could teach me."

"Right," he said, rolling his eyes.

Retsuko's own narrowed. "You don't think I could?"

"Oh, I mean you totally could. It's the part about getting him to teach you. Honestly we're three bats out at this point, I'm not sure what else he could do."

"Well, do they teach those things at your place?"

"Not that I'm aware of…"

"Ah, just silly thoughts," she said, shaking her head. "Almost as silly as you thinking you need to be some kung fu action hero for me."

"I want to be one for myself, not you."

"Yeah," she said, sitting back. "Honestly, I'm more into punk you, or smart businessmam you. Hmmm, or what about casual autumn wear you? You in a knitted jumper, maybe some glasses…"

"Glasses?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, just thought they'd suit you."

He slipped a paw down into his pocket, and her eyes widened as he brought a pair out and placed them on his face. "What, like this?"

"Y-y-yeah! But since when did you wear glasses?"

He shrugged. "Since I was born short-sighted and needed them to get my driving license."

"You should wear them more."

"You do realise you're now a bit blurry, right?"

"I don't mind," she smiled.

"Uh-hu," he said. "Though I'm afraid they'll have to come off some time. For instance, when I'm Action Haida again!" He pulled them off and snapped back into an action pose, giving a few more kung-fu kicks and punches. "Ha, He, Ho, Chop, Smash, Kablow, Whammo, Spudoing… -Uh, Retusko, this isn't funny."

"It is," she giggled. "It is."

His eyes narrowed. "This is very serious stuff!"

"Even the sound effects?"

"It… -It helps the immersive experience!"

"Right."

His eyes narrowed. "Was that snark?"

The red panda blinked. "And if it was?"

"You're turning more into Fenneko."

"That's not a bad thing."

"It's a scary thing," he said, paws crossed in front of him. "That much deadpan snark shouldn't fit into such a small body. It's unnatural."

"It's not that bad," the red panda said, only to pause. "Unless they…" Her eyes widened.

"Uh, Retsuko?" Haida asked, waving his arms in front of her.

"What happens if they have kits?" she asked.

"What, a bunch of mini Fennek…" Haida began, before his eyes widened. "Oh…" He let out a nervous cackle, his mouth wobbling. "I… I… I just imagined that. I'm not ready."

He felt a tight set of paws clutch her chest. "I'M NOT READY EITHER!"

"The world isn't ready!"

Retsuko gulped. "I mean, even now, I bet she and him are up to something."

"All I can hope is that we who did the most in bringing in the age of the fennec don't get it the worst."

.

.

Nick let out a breath and relaxed, spooning some noodles into his mouth. They'd woken up, a little, but right now were still happy to laze about and recharge. After all, they now had some takeout.

His phone beeping pulled an ear up, and Judy watched as he answered it. "Uh, hello?"

…

"Am I 'the gay foxxo professional… what!?'"

Judy watched on as Nick at first nodded, then had a quizzical look. Then his eyes went round as saucers, "You want me to do what to you?" His face morphing into a mix of horror… "With a what?" disgust, "While you're what?" pure cringe "While you're wearing a what?" and a growing anger "Okay, that last one explains every…-Yeah, yeah, buddy? I think you got the wrong number... -Or maybe the right one, I don't know, sounds like you enjoyed this! Excuse me," he pulled away his phone and cycled through the contacts, jabbing one hard. Up it went again. "Finn…" He cut off immediately.

Raising her ear, Judy heard the sound of both bellowing rolling around on the floor laughter and a fast rhythmic ha-ha-ha staccato coming out.

Nick just groaned and brought the phone up to his mouth again. "One, I derive none of that kind of pleasure from that stuff, in fact as you can probably guess it weirds me out a little. Two, there is a caveat here, in that I do enjoy the noble and time honoured red fox tradition of humiliating the fennec. Three, and this is the clincher, that 'the' isn't plural. It's singular buddy. I could do innumerable degrading things to your vix before publicly parading her in a Luna the Moon Princess onesie and it wouldn't even… -Is she moaning in the background!?"

Before he could get a response he jammed down the hang-up button and shoved the phone down his pocket, Judy looking up at him. "You okay…"

"It wasn't even a natural moan…" he muttered. "It was 'moan…' 'moan…' 'moan…' I'd think it was a joke from any other fox, but from her I can't tell…"

Judy piqued her mouth, scratching her head. "Beats me."

Nick looked down before shaking his head, staring up at the ceiling. "Carrots?"

"Yes?"

"If those two fennecs ever have kits… I'm totally going to babysit them every chance I can get."

The bunny paused, blinking. "That's kind of the opposite of what I imagined."

"Fluff," Nick smirked. "Finnick seems to think he has an ace on me given all the tales he has from our hustling days. Alas, until it's too late, I don't think he'll realise I have just as many and far fruitier at that articles about him. I won't be stuck with the fennec kits. The fennec kits will be stuck with me."