Fury sat by his coffee table and sipped his coffee from the mug. He was waiting anxiously until a knock came on the door. He was greeted by a polar who held a box.
"Raymond, my dear, good morning," Fury smiled.
Raymond handed the box to Fury and left.
Fury closed the door and ran back to the parlour. He opened the box and brought out a sack of ashes.
"You left me no noise, Grabber, my dear. No choice whatsoever, you naughty cub."
He lit the fire in the fire place and there the sack into the flames.
"Fury's fires is where you shall reunite with the others for company," he chuckled.
He turned and his eyes fell upon the young Noah Sly sound asleep in the just condemned fox's bed spot.
He ascended closer to the cub.
"Noah? You awake, my dear?"
Noah murmured, his eyes still closed.
Fury headed back to the the fireplace, removed a brick for the left hand side and brought out a brown ancient box. He searched into the pocket of his trousers and drew out a key. He unlocked the box, opened it and a golden glow shot out. He glanced greedily at the sight of money, diamonds, pearls, rings to help bring the intention of his plans and plots.
"Pretty pups!" he sighed. "Ah, my pretty pups."
Noah's eyes opened drowsily as the tinkling of money woke him up. He leaned over and saw Fury over at the table scrunching some valuable gold he had pulled from a very old-looking box.
"Pretty, pretty pups," he heard his new master mutter. He cackled as he reached for his mug, only for his eyes to fall on Noah.
He gasped in fright, slammed the lid closed, charged at Noah, grabbing his shirt and drew an ancient dagger from his case pointing it under the cub's neck?
"WHAT WERE WATCHING ME FOR?!" he shrieked. "WERE YOU SPYING ON ME?! SPEAK UP! WHY WERE YOU AWAKE!"
"I couldn't sleep anymore, sir!" Noah panicked in a strangle. "I'm very sorry if I angered you!"
"You only woke up just now?" checked Fire in sudden calmness but still holding the dagger where it was.
Noah nodded.
"Are you sure? BE SURE!"
"I'm sure, sir!"
Fury's fury slowly melted into a jolly cackle.
"I knew that, my dear! I was just testing your character."
He lowered the dagger form Noah's chest and put it away, patting the cub's head.
"You're a brave, lad!" he chuckled. "Five years old and all."
Noah was still frozen with shock and fright.
Fury leaned in.
"Did you see those pretty pieces, my dear?" he said quietly. "Be honest."
"Yes, sir," whispered Noah.
"Well, you see they are mine. A little property of mine to keep for my old age, my dear. You must promise to keep this to yourself. Shall you do so, you will also have to meet Mr. Big. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir."
Noah did not know who Mr. Big was but for now he did not really want to know.
"May I get up now, sir?"
"On your feet," Fury invited. He clicked his paws and the box disappeared.
He served Noah some eggs and bacon, this time hot bacon and Noah loved the taste of it.
"Healthy appetite for one so underfed," said Fury.
"Where are the others, sir?" asked Noah looking about. There was not a fox in sight.
"Gone to work, my dear," Fury explained. "Magic making is our little business in our little family."
"Mrs. Pride says there's no such thing as magic."
"She's never seen it, that's why," explain Fury sitting down next to Noah. "But it is something you shall see for yourself soon enough."
The door swung open, behind it came the form of a huge, orange tiger wearing a leather jacket with golden spikes, a grubby vest, dark trousers, and an eye patch over his left eye.
"Brent, my dear!" said Fury nervously standing up. "Such an unconditional pleasure."
"Well it's conditional for me, you cunning old mutt!" he growled. "The salary Patsy collected is not enough! Let's have the rest yeah?"
"Caveat emptor, my dear!" said Fury quietly. "Caveat emptor."
Brent grabbed the fox and held him in mid air strangling him.
"I can translate Latin, you Italian stone-bred fence!"
"I think you're hurting him," said Noah gently.
The tiger glared at Noah and placed the fox down.
"You criticising my actions, boy?" he snarled. "You'll be next if you are! See this?"
He revealed his claws at the cub, making him shake when suddenly -
"Wait, Brent!"
Patsy appeared and came to Noah's rescue putting her paws around him. Next to her was another cat just like her, only silver with spots and wearing a yellow tight dress.
"This is our new fox, Noah Sly," explained Patsy to the tiger and her friend. "He's lovely when you get to know him. Noah, this is my best friend Zoe Arcs and my brother Brent."
Zoe had a kind look on her and as for Brent he still bore the same face of temper and anguish on his face. Noah looked at the scars all over Patsy and back at the tiger.
"Did you do all this to her?" he asked the tiger.
"Now you're questions what's not your business!" he growled. "You'll be dead within a week when I'm finished with you."
"It was an accident, sweetie," Patsy assured Noah. "He thought I was a burglar. Forget and forgive. Isn't that right, Brent?"
Brent stood up straight.
"You got lucky this time," he said to Noah. "But I promise next time you will not."
He turned to the ancient fox sitting innocently at the table, sipping his coffee.
"Cash, Fury!" he demanded.
Fury brandished the rest and the tiger snatched it.
Noah was wondering what that was all about when the foxes appeared through the door all wearing satchels that seemed to be stuffed well.
"You okay, Noah?" Skips checked. "We saw Brent leave with Patsy and Zoe."
"I'm fine," said Noah. "But he warned me."
"You got lucky this time," said Skips. "but don't speak to him and stay away from him if you wanna see tomorrow."
He helped Noah up and everyone gathered at the table.
"We've been working judging by how fat your bags are!" Fury chuckled.
"Hard!" declared Skips.
"As nails!" Alex emphasised.
Everyone emptied their contents onto the table; wallets, purses, money, credit cards, phones, iPods, lighters and very valuable looking diamonds.
"What amazing stuff!" gasped Noah. "Did you all make magic for this?"
"Abraca-Defos!" remarked Alex.
"A right demonstration," explained Fury patting Noah's head.
"Oh!" said Alex. "Got some old fashioned hand fans here's and all!"
He unzipped the side of his satchel and brandished three fans with pretty flowers on them.
Everybody just laughed.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" chorused the Hunter. "Alex Coop is a pansy after all!"
Alex's ears drooped, anger sparking in his eyes.
"You'd like to make magic better than Master Alexander Coop, would you not, my dear?" said Fury to Noah as he flung the fans to one side.
"If you'll teach me sir," said Noah. He didn't want to be better but this made Alex interpret otherwise. He walked away, sitting by an armchair and opening a bottle of Buckweiser.
Noah was given the phones and cards and what-else to place into their rightful piles ready to be made for business as the old fox had informed him. He worked hard throughout the day until nightfall.
Fury on the other hand was sorting the pieces out also until locking them into the tiny vault in the corner of the room.
"Attention, lads!" he announced. "We shall now demonstrate to Master Sly, the game! We will show him how to make magic!"
Noah watched eagerly.
"Nothing more fun than games, eh, my dear?" he said to the cub. "Now! Form a line!"
The foxes, including Alex and Skips did so.
"Now, give your title and skills!"
They all stepped forward and back by every beginning and end.
"Hustler. Conjures the magic money out of begging.
"Persuader. Conjures the magic of acting with sob stories.
"Gluer. Conjures the magic of stops at nothing to touch the first thing my eyes eyes fall upon."
"Whizzer. Conjures the magic of whisking values."
"Manipulator. Conjures the magic of funds which encourages the citizens donate."
"Speaker. Conjures the magic of talking sweetness to reach the targets."
"Snooper. Conjures the magic of spying and where to fine the ripe targets for magic making."
"Hunter. Conjures the magic of stalking the targets."
"Shopper. Conjures the magic of shop magic without any camera witnessing."
"Prowler. Conjures the magic of analysing the rich."
"Skipper. Conjures the magic of trickery and dodging."
Alex was about to state something when -
"Out of the line, Alex," said Fury. "You need a title."
"Regardless of ancient treasures I picked up from the elders?" he argued.
"Indeed," said Fury uppishly.
Alex walked off putting bedside the wall.
"Behold, my dear!" announced Fury to Noah. "Your futuristic opponents to futuristic profession. My great, great, great, grandfather passed this generation through the family tree."
He whirled and whirled until his attire transformed into ragged green, his coat, his trousers and a green top hat bending forward.
"The attire of my great, great, great, great grandfather!" he announced. "J. Worthington Foulfellow by name!"
Noah looked in amazement with his big green eyes.
"And we begin," he bowed. "Observe closely, my dear."
Fury walked briskly around around the room, whistling casually twirling his stick about. Subsequent, he danced about with his feet entertain the young foxes who giggled. He banged his to the ground as he turned to the left, then to the right and he craned face towards Noah responding "Hmmmmmm", making the little fox giggle at this moment of amateur material.
Fury turned his back on Noah, stood straight, and shook his huge bushy tail clean as he moved down the opposite side of the room.
Noah watched in curiosity when low and behold, some of the other foxes, Skips included, began making their way towards Fury.
The Gluer walked up to the fox and greeted him politely shaking his paw endlessly as the Shopper was holding some sort of mall bag, snooped into the pocket's of Fury's coat and pulled out a wallet, dropping it into the bag. Noah was amazed for he was convinced that the pockets of the coat was empty.
The Manipulator was standing in front of Fury miming an act of what the paper is about while the Hunter, whom had been following Fury, halted where he was and dipped carefully into his trouser pockets and brought out a twenty dollar note, the Whizzer zooming past.
The Snooper walked passed and eyes Fury's ragged appearance, but when he saw his stick was rather shiny, he snuck after him, trod on his tail, whisked away and whisked a handkerchief from Fury's breast pocket and skipped innocently making Noah giggle.
The Speaker stepped in Fury's way and spoke in pleasantness alongside the Persuader making a sob story about having a blind little sibling, Fury responding with handing money to him and when he walked away, the Speaker walked off pridefully.
The Skipper then got ready for his chance; he walked pridefully and over the top to get a giggle out of Noah. He walked up to Fury, jumped up to his top hat and yanked it down, the fox hopping up and down in madness making Noah laugh even more. Skips helped himself into the fox's pockets and just as the paw was about to grab him, he grabbed Noah and put him in his place, the cub enjoying himself.
Alex helped pull the hat off and followed his every lead, picking out every wallet, handkerchief, pack of cigarettes and fans making the foxes chuckle.
The foxes repeated their action with new moves, teamwork included until finally, the foxes revealed the objects they had picked from their master as Fury whirled back into his regular attire, bowing with his hat and stick at Noah who applauded excitedly.
"Delightful workers are they not, my dear?"
"Very much, sir!" said Noah. "And funny all the same. My favourite was Alex! He was very clever to copy your every step and take everything out of your pockets at the right time."
Alex smiled rather gratefully.
"But you'll experience others with strength, higher than his, my dear!" said Fury happily. "You just wait. It might even be you?"
Alex's smile was replaced with a glare and the Prowler patted his head.
"You're cursing for a bruising," Alex warned him.
Noah considered all of Fury's words.
"Tell me," continued Fury. "What's left in in my pocket - do you think you can take it out without me feeling it?"
"I think so," said Noah.
"Well try rather than think," advised Fury. "On your feet, give it a try."
Noah crept up to him and watched him hum a tune, his back turned.
Noah crept close to him, looked into his cloak but sneezed. He hid away right on time as Fury turned. He turned again the same time Noah left the spot. The cub pinched his nose, searched into the pocket of his master's cape and brandished a wallet.
The cubs cheered, except for Alex.
"He did it Fury!" cheered Skips.
Fury turned to see Noah with the brown wallet in paw.
"Not sly for nothing, my dear!" Fury chuckled.
"Hence the name," agreed Skips. "You'll be out and about with us soon."
"Congratulations!" cried Fury laughing as he shook Noah's paw. "First try and all!"
Noah beamed rather sheepishly.
"More practice is called," he advised. "Follow the example of the others. Especially the Skipper! Make them your models, my dear! Continue the way you began, you will be a legend of all foxes!"
Noah felt strong enthusiasm within. He didn't know what a legend was, but it must be something great.
"Teaching him so-called magic are we?"
Noah turned to see Patsy back with her friend Zoe.
"They were!" said Noah excitedly. "They were amazing!"
"Is that a fact?" remarked Patsy. "I just hope one will be a great a example to you when I'm not around.
"The baby crawls before the baby walks, my dear," Fury chuckled as he poured the coffee.
Patsy and Zoe exchanged looks with one another.
"I've got something for you, Noah," said Patsy.
"What is it?" asked Noah.
"Well, you can't wander the city dressed like that so I found some clothes your size."
She reached into her hand bag and brought out cream shorts and a bright green T shirt with white stripes checked sideways on the material.
Noah was amazed by them.
"Thank you, Patsy," he said happily. "I will think up some way to repay you for your kindness."
"Like what?" asked the Snooper. "An engagement ring?"
The cubs laughed out loud.
Zoe was holding a bottle of water and she squirted in a line from where the cubs were standing.
"Hopefully it should clean your mouths out!" she said.
"There's no need to repay me, sweetie," Patsy said to Noah. "I only thought of you."
She helped Noah into his new shorts which fitted well and as she pulled off his lawful, ragged top she gasped in shock. Zoe, Alex and Skips investigated as they looked at the bare gashes on Noah's back.
"Who did this to you?" said Skips.
"The orphanage," said Noah. "They don't hurt."
"I'm a black belt in Karate!" said Skips angrily as he posed himself in a Marital position. "I'll blind them all!"
"But right now," said Patsy. "We need to sort his back out."
She dipped into her purse, asked Noah to leave his top off as she brought out a big green tube of some sort of gel. She unscrewed it, squeezed the contents onto the cubs back and smeared it in.
"What's that?" laughed Noah as the sensation tickled him.
"An ointment to stop the cuts getting infected," Patsy explained. "Now you keep you shirt off until your back is dry."
As they waited for it to dry, they asked how he had come to be like how he was; he explained bout being born at the orphanage, spending five years there in a tight muzzle before they kicked him out for asking for more soup, the only food they had ever gotten as well apprenticing him to a zebra whom he thought was kind but betrayed him when he refused to serve justice to a bully who made fun of hi mother, which was why he had come to Zootopia in the first place because recalled Mr. Blite saying anything can be anything.
"For a cowardly scumbag, he's right," said Patsy. "If you ever have a chance, Noah, find your path and you'll emerge the gentlemen I picture you to be."
Noah soon clambered into bed after Patsy and Zoe left (to his disappointment because while he liked Zoe he seemed to grow a stronger attachment to Patsy) but the there foxes told him to take a sip of some Buckweiser.
"We filmed you smoking last night," replied the Shopper when Noah questioned. "Your reaction was awesome. We hope to get a good one from the bottle and all."
Noah drank from the bottle which e wretched on and spraying it from his mouth making the other foxes laugh and called as the Shopper stopped filling from his phone.
"Knock it off!"
They turned to see Skips advance towards them. "If you don't skedaddle, you'll be the ones in the rabbit snares."
They just sneered but walked away anyway.
"You don't have to drink the stuff if you don't wanna," said Skips as he gave him some water.
"Thanks," said Noah as he sipped.
"You just stick with me and Alex and you'll be fine."
Noah's eyes were closed and Skips, like last night, tucked him in. He never had that many responsibilities but looking at the orphan, he felt he had one now.