Noah's sight blurred around when he opened his eyes. Faint babbling was heard among the confusion that filled his head. came back to place where he heard voices and laughing. When Noah's sight came clear he found himself in the presence of all the thieving foxes who had put him into a blessing in disguise, yet somehow, he was back. Was it all just a wonderful dream?
"He's awake!" announced the Shopper.
"We missed you so," said the Hunter laughing.
Noah backed away from all of them. He was lying in his usual sleeping area surrounded by all the foxes, almost as if they were expecting him to escape.
SNAP!
A puff of purple smoke appeared and there, standing before him, was the very figure he dreaded more than Mrs. Pride and Mr. Mudway; Seignior Magnifico Giovanni Furia, posing the same way when he met his sight for the first time and smiling very darkly and threateningly.
"Delighted to see you look so well, my dear!" he cackled, his same Italian voice but not in his friendly tone this time. "Why didn't you write and say you were coming? We'd have gotten some supper ready for you."
He dug into Noah's pockets and brought out the five-dollar note.
"Well," Fury snarled greedily, "Your departure must be a blessing in disguise."
"Hey!" snapped Stripes who had gotten up from the table smoking. "That's mine, Fury!"
"No, no, no," replied Fury manipulatively. "The money's mine. You can have the uniform."
"If that's not mine and Patsy's we'll bring the boy back."
"Do it!" cried Noah. "Please don't give it to him!"
"SHUT UP, YOU!" the tiger roared and turning the the old fox he roared again. "THE CASH, YOU AVARICIOUS SKELETON!"
Grumbling in misery, Fury gave away his short-lived treasure,
"Not even enough either," remarked Stripes pocketing it.
"Why did you take me back?" cried Noah. "Let me go! Please let me go!"
"You're better off here, Noah," said Fury coldly. "Cops are not to be friends with. You will understand in time."
"Or now," said Alex who was standing by the lit fireplace, holding some files. "You won't be needing these of you are to maintain the contract you sighed to Mr. Fury."
"NO!" screamed Noah as Alex threw them into the fire. "PLEASE! THEY ARE FOR CHIEF BOGO! THEY WILL THINK I STOLE THEM! OFFICERS WILDE AND HOPPS WILL THINK I STOLE THEM!"
"Exactly," said Fury as he held the cub back so he would not rescue them.
Noah glared at Patsy.
"You lied to me! You kidnapped me and brought me away from my friends!"
"It's not what it looks like," she said tearfully.
"And you, Skips!" he whipped at the rabbit with a sorrowful expression on his face. "You and Alex nearly got me put in jail!"
Everybody laughed and cheered and danced about, assuring Noah he will get used to thievery life and teaching him extra magic sessions, Fury bringing his face close to his saying "And you would do well to live up to the contr-OWWW!".
Noah bit the old fox's arm and dashed for the door, charging all the way downstairs and out into the alleyway.
The other foxes were just laughing at his reaction. Noah bit Fury's paw and charged for the door and ran downstairs. "HELP! HELP! CALL THE ZPD! CALL THE COPS! PLEASE!"
Alex charged after him. Brent was about to follow when Patsy shut the door and stood in front of it.
"I won't have you clawing the kid, Brent! You're too rough!"
"He'll be back when the other grabs him!" said Brent furiously. "I will give him the clawing of his life when he returns!"
"Let me do the same," said Fury as he clutched his bitten paw.
"COPS!" Noah screamed. "HELP! KIDNAP! CALL THE COPS!"
He charged passed bums sitting by the sides of the walls, druggies smoking and laughing and many others begging for scraps. His heart was pounding with desperation to get back into the open square and hopefully find one of the other cops. Just as he thought he was getting nearer, he felt himself grabbed and went flying to the ground as Alex Coop body-locked him to the ground. He tried very hard to break free, but he was not match for this eleven-year-old fox. In his grasp, he knew that he'd be in for another fate of thievery and this time, he probably would not be so lucky. He had lost the filed Nick had entrusted to him and now he would think him a criminal.
He was dragged back up the porch and up the stairs and back into the room. The foxes, including Skips, looked worried as well as Patsy and Zoe. Fury advanced close towards the cub.
Soon, Alex returned clutching Noah who was struggling to escape.
"So," said Fury angrily. "We take you in, we feed you, give you a job to do and you repay us with threatening to have us arrested?!"
"You tried teaching me to steal!" said Noah rather bravely. "Stealing is no job! It's a hustle!"
Fury picked up Noah, put him on his knee and smacked him mercilessly, the cub screaming in pain.
"STOP IT!"
Patsy grabbed Noah, paced him gently on the ground and smacked Fury good and hard on the face, knocking the old fox to the ground.
"NOT EVEN SIX YEARS OLD! BORN IN AN ORPHANAGE FOR PREDATORS AND NOW BROUGHT INTO SUCH AN UNDERSERVING LIFE BEING TREATED LIKE ONE?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE ABOVE IT!"
"Why don't you look at yourself?" snarled Brent. "I've scratched you long enough."
"THIS KID GAVE ME HIS TRUST AND NOW I'VE LOST IT BECAUSE OF YOU! WE COULD HAVE LET HIM HAVE A NICE LIFE WITH THAT FOX AND RABBIT AND NOW YOU'VE TAKEN IT FROM HIM! ACCUSED OF THEFT AND NOW TO BE TAKEN FOR A THIEF WITH THOSE FILES BURNED AWAY!"
"WE WON'T BE ICED BY MR. BIG!" thundered Brent as he threw her to the wall and strangled her. "NEITHER WILL YOU!" and he gave her a huge punch in the eye knocking her out. He picked her up and took her away.
After stripping him of the scout uniform, Fury grabbed Noah by the tail and took him up to an old attic.
"And here is a little something to enforce good behaviour."
He brought out a muzzle and locked it tight into his face, so tight it hurt Noah's sides. The villain walked out and slammed the door behind him, locking it.
Noah walked up to an old box and sat on top of it. He curled himself up with his tail and started to sob. Where was Judy? Where was Nick? He wanted so badly to feel the warmth of his busy tail to keep him safe from harm. As for those files, it should be enough to convince them he had stolen them.
"Oh, Nick! Please don't think I stole the files!" sobbed the cub. "I want to go home! I really do!"

Nick was making inquiries to every shop Noah was likely to have passed. After a while, he wondered if he might have taken a detour and may have wandered into the wrong hands. Maybe the person he told him about in McDonkeys. Finally, he made inquiries to the cafe he expected Bogo to be at. One of the waitresses told him she caught sight of a fox cub in scout uniform being taken into the alleyway by some young leopard wearing a pink dress and she looked badly beaten. The waitress added that she never saw them leave.
They went to the alleyway and they arranged a forensic scan on the area. The examiners found, not only the fur of a fox and the fur of a leopard, but the fur of a tiger.
Judy was looking about worried, but thankfully saw no signs of blood. She was told nothing of screaming or yelling of murder. She took Nick so herself who was looking very sick.
"Nick?" said Judy after he had not answered for ten seconds. He was looking into space with his eyes wide and petrified. Suddenly he ran into the alleyway and before Judy could follow him around the corner, she heard wrenching and gagging, followed by a splatter.
After about a half hour, Nick emerged and Judy guided him back to the ZPD.
"We'll find him, Nick," she comforted. "We'll advertise in the news and tell them what we found out with the forensics."

"Out of a question!"
Judy was completely taken aback. She was certain Bogo would open to the search for the young cub.
"What do you mean out of a question?!" she reacted. "Have you seen how healthy his relationship is with Officer Wilde?"
"Just manipulating you, Hopps," said Wayne who was standing in one corner of the office.
Nick, who was also standing on the other side of the office, snarled at the wolf.
"Keep your stone age tone to a minimum, Wilde," warned Bogo glaring at him. "This is the chief's office, need I remind you."
"I've a right to snarl my mind," said Nick. "Noah Sly is only a little kid. Sweet, grateful, timid, mild, pure, I could go on forever!"
"In case you've forgotten," remarked Wayne. "I sent him on an errand to get those files to Chief Bogo here. An hour later he's gone, he's a thief."
"In case YOU'VE forgotten," retorted Judy to Wayne, "We have some clues; not only did the forensics find fox fur, but also the fur of a leopard and a tiger."
"No fox cub can tackle the largest kitty in the cat family," agreed Nick. "Surely you learned that at school last year before you left."
"The chances are Hopps," said Bogo, sitting at his desk all the way through this scene, "He planned to meet with these suspects."
"Ready to accept the truth?" said Wayne bluntly. "He's a thief and he's not coming back to complete your family."
At this Nick punched on the wolf, knocking some books aside as the fox punched him in the face and the buffalo and rabbit tried their best to break up until the former held them on both sides.
"You're suspended, Wilde," Bogo growled. "I will not have criminal behaviour in my station!"
"Wonderful!" said Nick. "More time to find the kid."
The door knocked, and Benjamin Clawhauser barged right in, panting.
"The files, sir! The files!" he wheezed.
"What about the files?" asked Bogo. "And what files?"
"The files on the recent case with the townies close to Rainforest District! They're gone. I only found the papers to be photocopied."
"Ask the canine," said Nick.
Bogo, still holding the two fighters, glared at the wolf.
"Start explaining, Wolford," growled Bogo, glaring at the officer in question.