AN: This chapter is a special one and it's for a good reason. In case you want to get a bit more insight, take a look at Stanley's scene in Chapter 10 of 'No Decision Goes Unpunished. Aside from that, enjoy!
Chapter 19 - Do I Know You Before?
Stanley Chutney couldn't even remember how long he waited for his son to come back home.
It was usually everyday for him. He couldn't remember the last time he accepted his son was gone. Right now, this defied the possibility of not seeing him again. Seeing his son forcibly calming himself down in his car's guest seat must be a dream for Stanley. Any feelings of loneliness seemed to be washed away for the old wolf.
However, what replaced this loneliness was paranoia.
Don't get Stanley wrong. He had been waiting for this moment. Whenever he waited at the front step of the day. To hope that his son's disappearance was all just a stupid prank. Stanley was alone in his thoughts due to coming up with different ways of how things could go back to normal. To see if his son would give him a chance to fix everything.
To fix what he should have done, especially in the absence of his wife.
But the now grown-up cub next to him changed significantly. Stanley could joke that Oliver grew to look more like him. When the two wolves got to the car, his son's outfit changed back to what appeared to be his 'code colors'. Never knew that Oliver was a fan of fashion. And he didn't seem worse for wear, seemingly having a fortunate life streaked in purple and blue.
But it wasn't the positives telling Stanley that his son changed.
Stanley would also feel emotional to see his son after being separated for a long time. He had to hold back a lot not to guilt-trip his son. However, Oliver looked like he was slowly descending into a panic attack.
His shoulders were raised upwards in a manner of getting ready for war, hunched to appear like armor. He kept looking around at the invisible eyes surrounding him. His chest heaved up and down, his breathing unsteady. His yellow eyes were healthy with no indication of dullness, but they contained an eerily familiar, glassy look. A filter that could make him look like he was impaired.
It spoke a lot that Oliver wasn't coping well.
Stanley cleared his throat, a sad smile visualizing a desire to connect again. "...been a while since we've chatted, right, mate?"
His son glanced at him with a lost look. Barely a sliver of relief. Oliver's head must be in the clouds.
"I…I never thought I would get to see you, Oliver. It means a lot to me to see you again."
Wolf's ears twitched. It had been a while since anybody called him 'Oliver'. Snake and Diane knew his real name, but they hadn't called him this for a while. It was a label he thought he could escape. Hearing it from his father was surprisingly…comfortable.
"Well, I-I know you have a lot going on," said Stanley. "And I can understand why y-you hid for this long. I'm sorry if I came in the way of something today. But if you have time, you can tell me."
Wolf closed his eyes, needing a moment to recollect his thoughts. "Dad, Dad. Just…stop. I was on a mission in this city and…it all came back. I thought it would be left behind when…nothing ever stays behind, doesn't it?"
He trailed off, nearly feeling too tired to continue. His words came out as cryptic.
Stanley's ears drooped, feeling that there was something he didn't know. "I'm…I'm sorry, Oliver. I was just trying to help you."
Wolf backpedalled, not wanting to get things on the wrong foot. "No…I'm sorry. I mean, I-I shouldn't have left you here."
The younger wolf tried first to think clearly to come up with some words of reassurance. Anything. Maybe even what he would say as Mr. Wolf. Between the stress of seeing his long-lost father and being blocked by the damn whispers in his head, he came to realize that he didn't have the right to explain everything in a good light. Too selfish all these years to even remember him. How was he going to tell his father that?
The silent Wolf noticed his father trying to look away to wipe small tears forming at his eyes. Surprisingly, they didn't crack his stoic face. It made Wolf feel hollow since his father had to deal with his absence for too long. He wondered how long until his father would break down when he learned that his son was currently a criminal…
Wolf's heartbeat began pumping in his chest again. Did his father know about him? A California criminal, the leader of the diabolical Bad Guys? Stanley was a cop, for goodness sake! How would his father take this if he knew?! And if he already did, why did he allow Wolf to be in his car next to him? Did he even lead him here to separate him from Snake?
He remembered what Thelma had told him. And if he said it, his father would be beyond repair.
Wolf fumbled to open the door. His shaky hands couldn't grip properly. They were shaking too much. Unwanted energy rattled his fingers, stopping him from going forward.
"I-I shouldn't be here," he stuttered, his voice filled with alert and danger. "Y-You shouldn't see me. No one should…no one…"
"Wait, Oliver, please don't-" Stanley cut himself off. He inhaled, trying to muster up the willpower to be flexible. "I mean, i-it's fine as well if you want to…"
Wolf closed his eyes. The truth was close, but he was still worried about telling his father. "Dad, you…you know I've been away from you for this long. Like, I-I don't know. More than 10 years? I ran away from this place without telling. Wouldn't you don't want me around?"
The response given wasn't an automatic one. Stanley looked like he was punched in the face. His chest tightened in a knot. To him, it was a betrayal to hear his son say this. To Wolf, he didn't expect a raw reaction like this. He didn't expect that his father would believe those words.
The older wolf's shoulders were beginning to shake.
"O-Oliver?" he uttered, fearful. "What…w-where did you get all that from? A-Are you…even real?"
Wolf's hands were drifting away from his chance of escaping. They wanted him to stay put right now. A devil's voice told him he should just lose his father like he wanted to in the first place. But then, in the end, he found himself wanting to stay.
"Yes, I'm real," muttered Wolf. "I'm real…and you're here too. It's just…a lot has changed. I changed."
"I know," said Stanley, trying his damnest to keep his voice level. "I know. But…I don't know where you got this shiny new coat of paint. You must have done a lot to survive on your own."
Wolf chuckled without humor. "Well…I did it the hard way. Not like you approved."
"But at least you're still alive."
Wolf nodded. He was nearly tempted to smile, but a whisper made his fur stand upwards. Something cold was bothering his ears. He looked around, wondering where they were coming from. White lines faintly flashed over his vision. They were nearly unnoticeable, but he noted that they were still there. Too close to him.
A lump formed in his throat as he tried maintaining eye contact with his father. Stanley was waiting for him to say something. He kept his expression neutral, but his glossy cyan eyes looked like they might tear again. Wolf was praying that he didn't see the sneer from Stanley again. And he knew that he might be waiting to tell him what Wolf was doing.
A new voice in Wolf's head told him that he should come clean. Tell his father that he was a criminal. A filthy criminal. A filthy, no-good, monstrous criminal. Everything from the start. His father deserved to know and didn't deserve him.
"He's just worried about me," the more hopeful side of Wolf thought. "H-He doesn't want me gone."
But then, a hand grabbed him by the ear. Wolf managed to stay calm but was already close to breaking out of the car. The invisible figure pulled him closer to their mouth and whispered that he should spare the pain to make it out alive. There was no point in trying to hide the pathetic truth. His father would definitely hunt him if he lied about being a criminal.
He was nearly tempted to whack the figure who told him this, but he was aware that he would be just smashing the window behind him.
However, a tiny voice broke through those overlapping whispers that it was the right thing to do.
But it never made it clear why he should.
Eventually, Wolf tried opening his mouth to say it out loud. His father deserved to know, after all.
"Wolf?!" yelled a voice, a nasty hiss shaking Wolf's eardrums. "WOLF?! Are you there?!"
Wait. That sounded like it was coming from someone…not in his head.
"Wolf?"
Wolf slowly pressed on his earpiece, hoping that he wasn't dreaming.
"Y-Yes, sweetheart?" he said, trying to switch back to his confident persona.
"Wolf, where are you?!" said Snake, clearly panicking. The random noises of him bumping into several objects were another identifier. "You're the closest nearby!"
"What's wrong? What's going on?"
"We got a situation here. I bumped into an old childhood acquaintance and I'm not saying it to make you jealous. I'm saying it because he was a robot freak who threw me around the room like Steve kicking Tentacular's arse in Rumble!"
Wolf's anxiety took a new high, this time, going into fight mode. "Fudge! You need help right now?! Where's that robot?"
"His plastic doll limbs are thoroughly roasted. The Eden Apples he hid exploded. But I need a ride out of here! Now!"
"Hold on, I'm on my way, Snake," said Wolf, whipping out his tracker device. "Can't you try making your way out?"
"Not with the police cars surrounding the apartment! There's too many of them."
Wolf growled to himself. "Alright. I'm on my way. I already tracked down where you're calling from."
Snake didn't respond. This was Wolf's cue to get into action. He grabbed the keys from the small cup compartment and dug them into the key slot next to the wheel. Or at least what he thought where the wheel should be at.
Sitting on the left seat, the key tip bumped harmlessly on the dashboard.
"...wait, shouldn't the wheel be here?" he pointed out.
"Not in this country," snarked Stanley, unamused.
Oh, right. Wolf groaned in hesitation, knowing that his father heard all of that. The older wolf was sitting there patiently, apparently sinking in the new information he heard from Snake's voice in the tiny car. And then, Stanley's eyes widened as he connected the pieces.
"Wait a second," he said, his voice low in carefulness. "You're…you're actually the Mr. Wolf of the…"
Wolf could feel the fur on the back of his neck standing up in an anxious chill. "Y-Yes?"
"And…your friend…Snake is here?"
Stanley trailed off, unable to believe this. The fur on the back of his neck began to stand on its own. The pounding of his heartbeat moved to his head. He couldn't describe the emotions controlling him. Many questions echoed off the walls in his nearly empty mind. In fact, he didn't notice his own vision was beginning to blur out.
The last thing he thought his son would ever get into was…being a criminal. It was a typical fear as a parent, but he didn't expect his son to have THAT much confidence in being a robber in his adult life. The whole time, he ran off to steal for himself. Was that what really happened? Why his son left without telling him?
And then, it hit him. It was obvious. It made a lot of sense. Oliver did steal money. Something Stanley never gained.
He took too much time saving enough money to ensure his son could be at a better school. He took too long to try to make a better life. His son wanted to escape this long achievement and cut to the chase where his name should be on the news. It didn't help that Stanley failed even to find a service that could support the two of them.
Wasn't this 'Mr. Wolf' the one who saved the day? The one who returned the stolen charity money? Didn't Mr. Wolf defy all odds of being a scary, evil wolf?
Wolf was expecting that his father would scream at him. He was frozen on the spot.
He only moved when Stanley let out a long sigh, clapping ironically. He looked like he had given up solemnly. Like there was nothing he could do since it was already over. Wolf tried to find any signs of passive-aggressiveness. But his father's eyes held no qualms towards him.
It came off as creepy since Stanley didn't even look angry towards him for committing immoral acts.
"Take the wheel, son," said Stanley, his voice raised to sound ordinary instead of apprehensive.
Wolf couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What?"
"That's not a suggestion. That's…" Stanley closed his eyes for a while, trying to convey any emotion. "...an order."
The younger wolf thought he was dreaming. But no. His father was serious. He was crazy.
"Dad, you don't…are you…?" Wolf swallowed, trying to say the right words. "So you're not gonna arrest me?"
"That's none of my business now," said Stanley, opening his firm eyes that his decision shouldn't be questioned. One that could tell a person to shut up and trust him. "My business now is rescuing another person who cares a lot for you. From what I'm feeling now, I'm holding you back. Just please…" The older wolf paused, trying to hide tears reforming. "...give me this chance to make it up to you."
Wolf was surprised by his father's sincere act of selflessness. Stanley had every right to arrest him, even if he wasn't wearing his police uniform. Wolf did too many things to undo anything, leaving his father in shambles. However, his father was PLEADING him to save Snake. One of the many friends Wolf made that changed his life for good.
The younger wolf only took longer to provide an answer when his eyes became glassy again. Whispers tickled against his ears, making him more irritated than before. It didn't exactly help him feel better. It only made him more worried.
However, he couldn't rely on those voices.
Finally, he tossed the keys to his father. "You drive."
"What?" said Stanley.
"I need to know that I can trust you."
"But…but am I doing that now?"
"You have to trust me as well. I cannot explain, but this is actually serious."
It didn't take long for Stanley to decide. He knew he had to make it up and win Oliver's trust again to save what was lost. The older wolf nodded with a determined look.
"...right then," said Stanley, his hands on the wheel. "Buckle up, son. We have to go through rush hour again."
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the apartment Snake would be at. When they arrived, all entrances were barricaded by a pack of police cars. Several police cops were swarming the area, checking for any damage on the outside. There was worry amongst them as they escorted the rattled residents trying to push their way out the door.
As Stanley took a left and drove at the side of the apartment brick gates, Wolf spotted Milton Gumbo climbing out from his car. This time, the crocodile looked less friendly than before.
Gumbo wasn't growling, not even with his mouth shut. Instead, his fists were shaking. This contrasted significantly with his calm expression as he entered the crime scene.
"Guess you had a run-in with that scaly bloke?" asked Stanley nonchalantly.
"Yeah, yeah," said Wolf without thinking. "Doesn't give me the same gist as Luggins unfortunately. That velociraptor seemed to grow madder and madder."
"I think it's a crocodile. Well, he seems angry enough about whatever mess you two caused. Especially…" Stanley paused, leaning forward for a better look through the front window. "This?"
A large trail of turquoise smoke floated from inside the apartment ground, rising high enough to touch the clouds. A genie flame yet its greenish hue only made it look toxic compared to the healthy blue sky. It didn't seem to come from the apartment building, but it was hard to see its source due to the brick gate blocking them off.
It couldn't be exactly a fire as this smoke…gas…wisps appeared too curly and animated to count as real fire.
"Your friend's fight with some ankle biter caused a new natural disaster?" said Stanley incredulously. "It must have been bloody huge!"
"Well, this isn't the first time Snake triggered an explosion," said Wolf, sounding too exhausted to care. "I'm surprised that it fortunately didn't take down the entire apartment."
That being said, Wolf remembered that Buck mentioned the explosion at Centrayway Mall last week. If today's explosion was caused by an Eden Apple, then this explained the trail of unusual turquoise smoke. The canine took in a deep breath, trying to keep himself cool from freaking out.
Diane was right. The world rested in their hands now.
Stanley parked the car in an isolated spot. Making sure there were no other cars around, he turned to Wolf and put on his game face.
"OK, how I'm seeing this is that we need to sneak in," summarized Stanley. "Stealth is the key since there would be many police cops looking through that apartment. But we have to do it fast to find Mr. Snake."
Wolf slowly nodded, dumbfounded. Wow, his father suddenly became really comfortable busting into an apartment. Suggesting stealth over rationalizing with the other cops. Stanley might be starting to act like his son now!
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Wolf in concern. "You know we'll be ticking down 'breaking and entering'."
"And how many times have you done that?" said Stanley, raising an eyebrow.
"...around 3600 times? Why?"
"And how many times a police cop ever abuse their power for their own benefit?" deadpanned Stanley, wiggling his eyebrows in additional sass.
Wolf gasped, shocked by his father's callousness. "You can't be serious! You're a good cop!"
Stanley looked embarrassed, grinning sheepishly. He had to admit it wasn't wise to use his role as a cop to get what he wanted. That would be dishonorable. But today was a different case than just breaking into an apartment for pettiness.
It was for his son's friend, after all.
He was able to come up with a witty answer. "Like anyone can stop me from doing a good cause?"
Wolf let out a low whistle, surprised by this bold change. "Whoa, who are you, Dad? Oh, Mafia Father, I have no idea how I should feel."
Stanley shrugged, offering a humorous smile. "It's a legal thing."
The two wolves wasted no time filing out of the car. Wolf asked again if his father would want to come since his fellow work colleagues might be nearby. However, Stanley was dead set that he was on his son's side without any fuss.
But when Wolf looked at the older wolf and back at the brick wall in front of them, he began having second thoughts. Stanley might look bigger for his broad shoulders and height. But the darker gray fur made him feel concerned about the physical fragility of his father.
"Just need to check," he said. "I don't want you wandering off. Are you sure you can handle this? Are you afraid of heights?"
"I still have experience as a cop," said Stanley, hitting his chest with his fist proudly. "Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?"
Wolf was surprised, nodding. At least he could tolerate the pride of a cop. "Better hope that you are flexible and acrobatic."
Both wolves simply jumped upwards to grab onto the edge of the brick wall, pulling themselves up. Wolf jumped down on the other side with a small flip and landed on one hand and one knee. Meanwhile, Stanley went for a simple drop from the wall.
The two wolves took the moment to nod at each other before hiding behind a nearby gardening shed. The cops were increasing at the front area.
And right near the two wolves was the turquoise smoke. Like an underground volcano that just erupted and created a potential sinkhole in the ground. Cracks in the concrete were close to the nearest leg holding the apartment building. Up this close, you could smell the smoke pouring from the gaps.
Wolf sniffed, his nose wiggling. He gagged a little. It smelled funny. Must be caffeine.
It was a rush high.
Stanley, on the other hand, looked pleased to smell it.
"That's new," said Stanley, smiling.
"At least it hasn't torn down the apartment," said Wolf. "I nearly forgot to come up with a good, clear plan. Usually like the rush. But to avoid being seen, we need some disguises. Taking some of their uniforms might take too long. We might have to climb."
"Great," remarked Stanley, his cyan eyes peering at the godlike apartment building in front of them. "Do you have something that would get us up there?"
"Oh yeah, I do," said Wolf, unable to not smirk. "Oh, but first, we need disguises."
He pressed a button on his outfit and the activated thin shield covered his entire body in royal blue. Stanley watched without a word, swearing he wasn't tripping. He wondered if Wolf could instantly dye his fur blue, out of all colors. He even got two light blue stripes over his face. Once every inch of blue erased his natural fur color, his son popped out a cocky, shiny grin.
At least his teeth were still white.
"...how many gadgets did you actually make?" asked Stanley.
"It's a spy suit," said Wolf, patting his arms. He didn't feel too different. Just a little empowered. "Now, I don't have an extra one. So, we'll have to go with the normal incognito disguise. Walk like the walkers, mate."
He took out the holographic baseball cap he stole from the market and slapped it over Stanley's head. And then, he took out a black face mask and wrapped it around Stanley's muzzle. It looked awkward on him since it stood out from his brown complexity.
"This is not a good idea to go out like this," said Stanley, narrowing his eyes.
"Chillax," said Wolf, peeking around the shed's corner. "No one's gonna recognize you."
"Yours is not a good disguise either! And I just look like I came from a K-Pop concert!"
Regardless of Stanley's tacky disguise, Wolf was fully confident that it would work. No one was dumb enough to see through it. Hopefully.
The two wolves sprinted across the area, making sure the police cops weren't looking. They ran right underneath a small shelter roof that stretched from one building to another. It must be some kind of bridge for the upper floors. They stopped in the middle of the apartment complex: a large clearing with the buildings surrounding them. All windows facing each other for previous neighbors to greet one another.
It was the usual look of a common apartment. The balconies were decorated with flower pots, stickers on windows and forgotten festive decorations left hanging on the balcony fences. It looked so lonely now after everyone evacuated from the apartment. However, Wolf felt a gut feeling that those windows facing towards them might have someone watching.
He felt like they weren't alone here.
Those windows were meant for people to gaze through them, seeing a picture of what they could identify.
"And now, how do we climb?" asked Stanley.
"Just gonna test this out," said Wolf, pulling out a blue grappling gun. This one was unlike his faulty metallic one. "Don't mind me. It's just a window smasher."
Stanley was nervous at first, but upon admiring the gun's design, his ears wiggled in intrigue. "You delinquents and your fancy gadgets."
Wolf couldn't help chuckling as he clipped the wire to his very tight belt. This better work in lifting him upwards by the hook. It better. Without needing to look up to aim, the hook shot out from the barrel and its long wire wrapped around one of the highest balconies of the apartment. Immediately, Stanley wrapped his arms around Wolf's shoulders before the two wolves felt their feet floating off the hard, concrete ground.
Wolf hissed to himself. "Damn, I forgot. Do you need a safety strap?"
Stanley shook his head. "It's all good. It's not THAT high…"
And the older wolf simply looked down. A sense of reality overtook any moment of wonder when he realized how DANGEROUSLY high he was from the ground. It was the same feeling as being sent to heaven, except not in the safest way possible. And he was still in flesh and bones.
His eyes widened in horror, mustering all willpower not to scream loudly. His grip tightened on his son, desperately trying not to slip off. One wrong move and he might end up falling to his death.
Wolf wasn't bothered by the tightening grip, but he was minorly entertained by his father's aura of terror. "If I were you, I would try not to look down."
"All I can see is down!" hissed Stanley through gritted teeth. "Have you been dealing with THIS kind of thing?"
Wolf laughed proudly. "I nearly fell to my death in a crater. Never felt alive ever again."
Stanley bit his lip, refraining when his sharp teeth nearly stabbed into the skin. "Shouldn't we go faster?"
"I'm not taking any chances! I'm not gonna lose my pants again. We need to check each of these windows to see if Snake is in one of them."
It was too late for both wolves to try reorganizing themselves since the police cops were already flocking the huge clearing below them. There wasn't any time to rest on one of the balconies since Wolf aimed to stop by at the top level of the apartment. Snake might be there if he wanted to evade the police.
The younger wolf pressed his earpiece with his free hand, not letting go of his gun. "C'mon, Snake. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon."
"Yello?" called in Snake. "Wolf? You're already here?"
"Oh, sweetheart," said Wolf in relief. "You're good?"
"Can't talk much now. I'm in my hiding box. I should be on the top level."
"Which room?"
"Room 13. This should be where at-hey! No, get out of there! That's my box! Hey-!"
Static filled Wolf's ears. "Snake? Snake? C'mon, sweetheart. You cannot quit on me!"
But when Snake didn't reply, it was clear he was out. Guess that meant they must be quick since he could be caught. If any one of those cops tried beating Snake up today, they would need to answer his fiance. A ferocious growl escaped through Wolf's gritted teeth, his claws nearly digging into the trigger.
Stanley's eyebrows raised in surprise. Never knew his son would hit the point of being protective. He had his moments, but not occasionally with a friend or a youngling. This was big news to him.
Especially since he wouldn't be wearing that…golden ring just for show.
Remembering back to seeing Mr. Wolf on the television with Mr. Snake, Stanley could only come up with a few theories.
One theory made his long tail wag.
"So…what is it between you and this snake fella?" asked Stanley, a happy smile crossing his muzzle.
Wolf blinked owlishly. Oh. He forgot to tell him about THAT. And right in the middle of…
His cheeks turned red, embarrassed to say. There was also fear towards his father's judgement.
"Dad, it's nothing!" claimed Wolf quickly. "We're just friends!"
Stanley couldn't resist smirking. "Friends, huh? Well, that's not what I see."
"What made you say that?"
"Saving your 'friend' sounded serious. Is he your…" Stanley made a dramatic pause to dig it in. "Boyfriend?"
Wolf hung his head back. "Dad!"
"When are you going to introduce him to me?"
"I kinda thought you won't like him because…I'm into guys as well."
"C'mon, son," said Stanley sincerely. "The world is changing. I can handle this." He suddenly shook like an excited child. "And I knew it! He is your boyfriend!"
Wolf groaned a little, but it came out as a puppy whine. "Alright, Dad, but just…keep it down!"
Stanley laughed lightly, eliciting an annoyed glance from his son. But Wolf noticed the bright cyan glow from his father's eyes. Stanley was smiling with no sign of sadness or worry. He looked really proud of him. While still flustered, Wolf felt the pressure lifted off his shoulders. His father didn't mind him dating someone he did not expect.
"So…since Snake is limbless…in all ways," continued Stanley. "How does he bring the whole package to you?"
Wolf's face burned. The thought made his tail wagged furiously. "If we're gonna keep talking about this, I'll shove your tail into your mouth."
"Fair enough then."
The two wolves continued hanging in there, the grappling hook taking its sweet time lifting them up. It was already starting to feel like they were on a malfunctioning elevator. Except without the metallic walls threatening to drop them. Stanley found himself losing his fear of being high above the ground.
He was surprised by the fact that Wolf barely complained about how heavy he was. This wasn't the little wolf he knew from before. As a cub, he often tried to pick heavy things up stubbornly, only falling onto his bottom. His son was already an adult wolf, strong enough to carry his old man on his shoulders.
"I'm surprised you've grown so much," Stanley commented. "And in good, healthy shape."
Wolf chuckled, letting some of his charm return. "I took your good looks and my mother's lush fur."
"Am I too heavy for you now? It's like, I don't know, a couple of minutes? I…eh…just surprised by how long you can carry me for." Stanley paused, noting the skin-tight sleeves wrapped around Wolf's arms. Barely hiding the slight muscular details on them. "You've grown thicker."
Wolf snickered. "I took workout a bit more seriously after I got out of jail. I carried Shark like ten times!"
Stanley remained silent. A shark would be too heavy to hold.
"...OK, three times."
No response.
Wolf groaned. "OK, two times. The last time, he squashed me."
"That's OK," reassured Stanley, "I always get sat on whenever I try lifting a bear to rescue."
"That makes two of us."
"Question, how come you stayed this strong? Maybe it has to do with being in a good caper crew, but how did you nurture yourself in good health?"
Wolf took a deep breath in, trying to find an easy answer to say it. "I was trained to think like a mafia boss. It's…not really ideal for anyone. I've grown used to it. Only difficult at the start. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the Bad Guys. The right people in my town."
"Good to know. Guess I don't need to teach you about running into strangers."
"You know strangers usually run away from me."
"Oh, right. I'm guessing it's due to that reputation of yours. 'Mr. Wolf! The sharp-tongued pickpocket who will steal your heart and steal your cards! You won't notice until he leaves you pennyless!'"
Wolf felt really smug when he heard his father's impression of a narrator. "No one can match me after all."
They were finally close to the top level of the apartment. The grappling hook seemed to be slowing down as the rest of the cord struggled to retract right back into its barrel, thanks to their weight. Wolf grinned, hoping to see Snake again. They really needed to stick together for once. Stanley sighed in relief, thankful that they would be back on some common ground.
"OK, so this is the place," said Wolf. "If anyone finds us, just whack them in the face."
"Hmm, hard or not too hard?" asked Stanley. "I don't want to accidentally kill someone."
"Look, there might be some people still inside. Kill isn't my policy. Knocking them out is for the best. They can get really ugly, cold-hearted-"
SMASH!
A tennis ball burst through a window from a room on the top second floor, hitting Wolf right in the stomach.
Naturally, things fell apart when he started to panic.
Upon feeling his son squirming around, Stanley panicked as well. The two wolves found themselves swinging side to side, trying to hold onto each other. It got worse when Stanley started clawing at Wolf's vest, nearly slipping off.
Meanwhile, below, none of the cops noticed the swinging wolves above their heads. Especially the seething Milton Gumbo as he marched to the center of the clearing area with one of the cops following behind him. The crocodile noted that every civilian in this apartment should be outside. The places empty or unlocked were checked over.
"Not even 10 hours passed and the next thing a Bad Guy did was blow up an underground room?" grumbled Gumbo.
"Possible they brought in a bomb that could incinerate a room this big," remarked a cop next to him. "But it seems unlike the Bad Guys since they're only known for two-dimensional heists."
"You know that they have more than that," said the crocodile, rubbing his sore forehead. "They destroyed at least two vehicles directly and that powder could have suffocated people if it was toxic! They must have done something worse here."
"Good point, but I don't think they would be the kind to outright use weapons. Blowing up a bomb would be too reckless of them."
"Well, criminals are criminals," remarked Gumbo grumpily, crossing his arms. "You know that they'll go rogue every minute they're given. Exploiting their surroundings for meaningless offenses. They'll just go right under your nose and then WHAM! They go with a blast like that."
Back above, Wolf eventually stopped swinging around, grabbing firmly on the hook rope. Stanley didn't let go, eventually clinging to his son's front chest. The two wolves hung awkwardly, their hearts still beating over the panic.
"...OK, OK," said Wolf. "We shouldn't be panicking. I like to remind everyone that climbing up buildings takes full concentration. We should remain calm-"
And then, a rubber ducky was thrown through another window. It zipped by Wolf's head, but the suddenness made Wolf scream again.
He swung around as he tried looking around where the duck came from like he was shot. Stanley was screaming as well, trying to hang on. Eventually, Wolf swung a bit too high that it led Stanley to fly upwards. The older wolf desperately grabbed his son's belt, but his fingers seemed to find a way further.
To Stanley's shock, he was yanking Wolf's underpants.
Stretching them from the gap of his pants, exposing the white briefs with pink hearts like a wedgie.
Wolf's eyes widened at the painful, tight sensation.
Below, Gumbo was inspecting a burnt pair of headphones from the nearby emergency exit. Nobody noticed the two wolves hanging above their heads, swinging again. Nor could they hear Wolf howling in agony and a panicking Stanley repeatedly yelling 'sorry' many times. Nor they saw both of them holding onto their respective 'objects' like their lives depended on it.
The crocodile was too busy inspecting the emergency exit staircase on ground level. Cops were already around him. While he was trying to see if there were any anomalies on the burnt headphones, they were inspecting a…long trail of yellow that dripped through the staircase.
Gumbo's fingers were shaking, but he kept a hardened, stoic expression. Just too bad that he tried to keep talking over the implication that there were casualties.
"Ladies and gents, I present you some high-quality, exquisite headphones," he whispered, adopting his British accent again. "Tired of all those earbuds that won't comfortably accommodate your primordial ear holes? Fear not, these new ones are really excellent and tested by trial-"
"Are you gonna advertise this or paid by the word to say all of that?" snarked a nearby cop.
Gumbo nearly dropped the headphones. "OK, OK. Not like I want any." He squinted his eyes, staring back at the burnt marks. "Do you think whoever was close to the explosion…wore these?"
"It looks like so. Not to mention this blood trail…coming from underground? There are more yellow splatters below than here!"
One cop inspecting proceeded to touch the still-wet yellow trail with his finger and lick it.
"What?! No!" groaned Gumbo. "Don't lick it!"
"It's…it's cheese oil," said the cop dumbly.
"You're LICKING someone's blood." Gumbo paused. "Maybe alien blood."
"Alien blood sounds delicious…"
Oh, they didn't know what happened to poor David.
Back above, Wolf and Stanley eventually managed to stop swinging and take refuge on the balcony close to the two broken windows. Stanley planted his foot right through the gaps in the balcony fence, climbing right into the balcony. Wolf was left hanging on his own before he swung forward, retracted his grappling hook and landed on the same balcony.
He bent down, rubbing his butt. "Ow…next time, you carry me!"
"I don't think I ever used a hook weapon before," muttered Stanley.
"Well, I don't think I'll be using it again…why didn't we take the elevator?"
The older wolf rolled his eyes at his son's thinking of taking the dangerous path. He looked down from the balcony. This time, he felt safe since they were standing on a platform instead of haplessly dangling from above. The cops crowded around the clearing area, so there was no way they could go down there later on.
It even felt like a mission succeeded in going up this far. Stanley couldn't remember the last time he ever made a risky move. Or something like a game he played with his son…
To Wolf, it was another day in the office. However, when he saw his father, it worried him by how he might add another trauma to his father's list.
Fortunately, he didn't need to think further.
"Um, Oliver," said Stanley. "Not sure if…this is the right time, but…"
"Keep up the conversation," said Wolf, glancing at the broken windows. "Make things a bit more light-hearted than too serious."
"Well…" The awkward Stanley paused, taking a deep breath to choose his words wisely. "Listen, son, I'm so happy that we're having an adventure together, you know…most dads and their sons are arguing all the time. I mean, we're like…I feel like we're buds, you know."
His words surprised both wolves. On Wolf's side, he never thought that his father would say this when he just met him today. The familiar feeling of being distant from him was faintly resurfacing, but it was starting to be overtaken by a feeling of care and affection returning. Given how old Stanley might be now, Wolf found himself to be…happy to give him this new adventure.
Even if it went a little wrong.
For Stanley, it was the first time he got a taste of Wolf's new lifestyle. It made him wonder how much his son really changed for the better or worse.
Wolf chuckled with a bright smile. "I can say the same thing as well. I'm…surprised that we quickly make up like this?"
"A lot to talk about," said Stanley, leaning against the balcony. "OK, maybe we're not exactly doing well, but…it's good that we are…moving forward?"
Wolf nodded. "Yeah. Now, we have a snake to save. Don't want to keep him waiting."
There was a scream inside that definitely sounded like Snake. Coming from the door behind them.
"Found him," said Stanley.
The balcony door was already unlocked, so the two wolves entered the apartment room without fuss. They stepped into the kitchen room, surprised by the numerous squeaky toys on the floor. At first, they thought this belonged to a family with a newborn child. However, it was the opposite case when they peeked into the living room.
Snake was shaking around a bundle of jelly snakes with his tail, shaping them like a cross. He was trapped on the couch by a barking puppy trying to bite him.
"Outta this house!" hissed Snake zealously. "Outta this house! Begone, you little monster!"
"What are you doing, mate?" said Wolf, making his presence known. "You're not gonna eat another dog, are you?"
The reptile looked up, but his glare was still there. "Oh, hi, Wolf. It turns out that the top few floors are littered with brain-dead dogs and they all see me like a chocolate bar!"
"Wouldn't normal dogs die from eating chocolate?"
"They would want to try it anyway!"
"Then what will be the effects of trying snakes?" teased Wolf. "What effects?"
"Snakes are hard to eat and cook," snarled Snake. "And once again, slurping them like spaghetti is not ideal!"
"I thought you would know how to train this puppy tamed since you were around Mr. Wolf for a long time," said Stanley, stepping in to let himself be seen.
Snake's attention diverted away from the barking puppy when he saw the older wolf. It was inevitable. He remembered why he ran away earlier.
His entire vision was shaking, trying to blur everything out for him. Snake found his body weakening, unable to keep himself straightened. Of all the time now, he had to face Wolf's father…and would even want to know what Snake did with Wolf long ago.
The reptile was about to slide away, but Wolf immediately stepped in.
"Snake, don't worry," reassured Wolf quietly. "My father is not the enemy. He already knows."
"Y-You're not kidding me, right?" said Snake, flicking his tongue in faux defense. "I-I don't think…would you think?!"
Stanley looked betrayed, but he also stepped in with a reinforced promise. "It's fine, mate. You two have a job anyway now. Whatever happened, at least my son has been safe and under good care. I'm not the enemy."
These would have been simple words Snake expected from someone who could backstab him, but he wasn't really ready for how he would react to the person saying them. And hearing it from Wolf's father, out of all people, was more of a surprise. A relative he never got to meet or know personally.
Snake didn't think of so, but it meant a lot to him. Even on the fact that he and Wolf were criminals. It could be a trick. Regardless, he knew now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Snake swallowed hard. "O-OK then…I trust you if Wolf trusts you. But-" The sound of the puppy's barking brought him back to his earlier irritation. "Can someone please tell that puppy to bug off?!"
Wolf and Stanley shared a clueless look. Clearly, they had no idea how to tell the puppy harassing Snake to back off. It was small, but it had quite an attitude. Its bounce was adorable, but it looked too hyper. Its voice was enough to wake an entire city in the bright morning but not in the afternoon. This was how Snake felt already.
"Looks like it's time to use the charm," said Wolf, adjusting his vest collar.
"Don't do the Clooney in front of a barely sentient runt," hissed Snake.
"Watch."
Wolf came closer to the barking puppy and bent down on one knee. He whistled and that got its attention. Once it was facing him, Wolf adopted a soft and kind look, his tail curling upwards.
"Hey there, little buddy," he said gently. "You know you're a good boy, right? Can you not scare my friend, please?"
The only response was for the puppy to growl at him with eyes that could make a hole in his forehead.
"Wow," said Stanley, grinning. "Animals do love you, Oliver, huh?"
Wolf groaned, his tail drooping. "Any ideas, old guy?"
Stanley scanned the room, looking for ways to distract the growling puppy. He could grab one of the colorful toys, but that might not be enough. Not to mention that Snake was the size of a table, so it had to be something enormous. And then, his nose caught the smell of what appeared to be juicy pork.
Drool slowly dripped from his lip when he saw an already-cooked clump of gigantic ribs steaming in a tray. Red wine sauce coated the meat, oozing out like soup.
A risky idea came to mind and before he could think it through, he grabbed the tray of meat.
"Hey!" shouted Stanley, picking up the entire clump of ribs. "You want this?"
The puppy went from growling like a serial killer to yapping like a hungry, innocent dog.
"Go get it, boy!"
The puppy went ballistic when Stanley threw the ribs over Snake's head. It chased after it as the clump flew to the door. What everybody didn't expect was the door being kicked down, followed by a group of police cops about to arrest the trio.
But the front cop didn't expect to be splattered by saucy ribs in the face. Not even the barking puppy until it pinned him to the ground.
With the ribs successfully in their jaws, the puppy began shaking them around like a toy. This didn't save the cops from the hot sauce and saliva splattering over their eyes from the beautiful ribs about to be torn to shreds. They all began clamoring, blinded and clumsily tripping over each other.
"Wait, how come we didn't hear them?!" said Stanley, his eyes widening.
"Don't know, but that worked," said Snake calmly. "NOW RUN FOR IT!"
With the cops distracted, the unlikely trio made a run for it. This time, they decided to try taking the emergency stairs instead of climbing back out of the window. Not the emergency staircase with the yellow blood trail, however. It was a miracle that no cops were there, too busy using the one they found on the other side.
It didn't take them long to get to the bottom with no interruptions.
Stanley was in the front, opening the door and checking for any cops nearby. Once the coast was clear, he led the two Bad Guys out and they ran towards the large brick wall. They managed to climb over it, hopping back into the small street alley Stanley parked his car at.
Checking that nobody was watching them, Wolf dropped the blue colors over his body.
"Phew!" said Wolf, wiping his forehead. "Well, that was a close one."
"I actually thought we would be caught," said Stanley, shaking a little. "Do you consider this to be really intense?"
But Stanley nearly freaked out more when they bumped into a large, beer-bellied boar. He jumped back and nearly prepared to kick, only stopping when he noted the lack of surprise of the two Bad Guys. If anything, they looked confused.
Baron Hoggust was breathing through his nose, his mouth full of post-munched chips. His lips were still smacking, his teeth still crunching the snacks inside. He only smirked when he could confirm that it was the Bad Guys in front of him…with a masked duplicate of Wolf somehow.
"Finally!" said Baron. "There you two are!"
Wolf raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"I've waited a long time to do this!"
"Really?" said Snake, slithering his way into the middle. "But…it's been two days since we last saw you!"
"Wait, wasn't he arrested or something?" pointed out Stanley.
"Like I said…well, correction, NOW I completed 10 prison escapes this year," bragged Baron, a small dribble drooling from the end of his lips. The potato clumps in that dribble made it difficult to not look away. "And I'm here for you, Bad Guys."
Wolf groaned. "Can it wait? I didn't even have breakfast yet…" His short attention span got the best of him. "Wait, what did we do to you?"
Baron's smirk turned into an angry sneer. "Are you serious?! Don't you remember what your shark friend did to my wheelchair?!"
Baron let out a cry of horror as the knife stabbed into his futuristic wheelchair. Those around him screamed in fear or shock, stepping away at the thought of a bleeding. But it was quite the opposite once they registered the knife stuck in the wheelchair. Electricity from it snapped circuits spewed out from the gap made, causing the wheelchair to tremble and its rocket pipe exhausters from below to sputter.
Like a mattress spring, the wheelchair suddenly pounced upwards, crashing the head of the unfortunate Baron into the ceiling above.
Wolf and Snake glanced at each other, the memories of the fight club flooding back to them.
"It's not what it looks like," he claimed.
Followed by an angry mob of EVERYONE from the fight club bursting right out of the alley and seconds away from tackling the Bad Guys to the ground. They all screamed in unison at the top of their lungs, right before they were utterly pinned down.
Both Bad Guys laughed, seemingly in pleasure of what had happened before. "Good times…"
They only shaped up when Stanley gave them a disapproving glare.
Snake grinned, mockingly sheepish. "But that wasn't us!"
"But you would have done the same as well," growled Baron, small pieces of potato spat out from his full mouth.
"Yeah, yeah. But look, Shark had a bad moment, so don't be too harsh on him. Your wheelchair should be rebuilt by now!"
Baron's eye twitched. "You think it's really fixed?!"
As if on cue, the wheelchair gave way and the wheels popped again. A long trail of smoke poured out from his wheelchair, oddly smelling like popcorn butter. A couple of sparks from the still unfixed wires inside. It was a total waste of garbage.
"...wait, but wouldn't you have fixed it yourself?" questioned Wolf.
"The cops confiscated my backup tools!" shouted Baron. "Do you know how many university students I have to bribe to get a new one?"
"Sheesh," said Snake, holding his tail up in defense. "You're mad. But we can get Webs to give you the money needed. We're too far away from home to get the right resources."
"Exactly!" said the boar, an evil grin growing on his face. "That means there's no one here that's going to stop me! No cops quick on your tail; you're going down."
And that was when he revealed that he was carrying a MACHETE. The cops wouldn't arrive on time to save them.
Stanley was about to grab Snake and Wolf when he heard an engine sputtering from behind. His cyan eyes whipped around, spotting a biker on the far side of the street…raising a gun.
Snake rolled his eyes, unfazed, while Wolf wisely backed away. "Can we talk this out like adults?"
"You're gonna die, Bad Guys," snarled Baron. "AAAAAAARRRGGGHHH-!"
"Oooh! A penny!"
Barely paying attention to the charging Baron, Snake ducked down to grab a small coin with his mouth. When he looked back up, he was greeted by the sight of a choking Baron with a pink dart through his neck. It was likely a tranquilliser dart since the boar foaming at the mouth. Potato mush was already spilling as well, taking the appearance of vomit.
Snake's smile dropped into shock, matching Wolf's and Stanley's reactions.
The trio turned around to see their unexpected savior.
Splaarghön grinned in satisfaction, even surprised she just done that. She would have killed that guy, but she chose the wrong bullet.
She was in her casual disguise with her face removing any cyborg parts. The pink and black colors on her clothes could have given away her secret identity. Surely, a black and pink helmet with her braid ponytail visible from underneath, a black leather jacket with pink stripes, a pink cropped hoodie, black jeans and black boots with pink laces wouldn't hide her looks that much.
But it seemed that the animals who witnessed her didn't know her.
Two of the people she randomly saved looked like the famous Bad Guys!
Mr. Wolf and Mr. Snake!
Naturally, the trio tried to defend themselves. Stanley stepped in front of Wolf and Snake, but Wolf chose to use the twitching Baron's wheelchair as a meat shield for all three.
"Seriously!" barked Wolf. "How many want us dead?"
Fortunately, the disguised Splaarghön didn't want them dead. Her action to save the helpless seemed to lead her to meet the two legendary criminals. She already found Oscar, but the two guys who changed the world?
She had no idea where this would lead, but she was excited about it.
Splaarghön gave a grin of smugness and respect in her own way. To outsiders, it more looked creepy. That was then covered by the black visor of her helmet. At first, Wolf, Snake and Stanley had no idea why she hopped back onto her matching black and pink motorcycle.
But then, they heard the police sirens behind them.
Splaarghön already rode off, leaving the trio at the mercy of the cops.
Several of them exited the cars, taking out their electrical tasers.
"Aww, crap," grunted Wolf. "Them too?"
Stanley tried looking for a way out, but the closest car was right next to the approaching cops. And his car was far away from them. Running out into the streets might not be suitable due to how many cops there were in the area.
With an exhausted sigh, Wolf let the intoxicated Baron fall off his wheelchair, still coughing. Snake gave Stanley an apologetic look before he pulled out a white napkin from his jacket.
As the cops, joined by the deadpanned Gumbo, approached the trio, Snake waved the napkin around like a flag.
"Parley?" he squeaked.
AN: For those familiar with the two shows, you would see elements of Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey and Peacemaker coming into the fold. I kind of wished this rescue mission is longer, but I don't want to drag it on for too long. I'm happy with the final results. Not to mention that we have our first interaction between Dread Overlord Splaarghön and the mischievous Bad Guys.
I feel like this is the best time to talk about Stanley Chutney, this AU's version of Wolf's father! He's probably one of my favorite characters to write about! Him being a cop was meant to create a contrast between him and Wolf, and to not rely heavily on the mafia family trope. While this means he isn't Vinnie in the books, at least that role is kinda taken by Oscar. Stanley will play a later role in the story, especially his viewpoints. Additionally, he's a bit of a stoner and his design is based on some werewolves I've seen before (check my Twitter account for that). Furthermore, this version of Wolf's father is much like Vander (Arcane) and would be potentially voiced by Wagner Moura. Yes, THAT Moura.
Wolf's (or Oliver's) and Stanley's dynamic is really fun to write about. From their shared banter to pride over their abilities to the emotional moments between them. Rally herself says that they even resemble Daphne and her father in Daphne and Velma since it's not every day you have a child and their parent going on dangerous missions and mysteries. Additionally, she was the one who came up with what Stanley would say when he discovered who Wolf was dating.
Baron Hoggust remains the determined bastard who won't let his presence be mocked. Even if the Bad Guys think otherwise. I like to think of him as a determinator through habitually eating chips and rolling around with a barely functioning wheelchair. He's even entertaining since he takes things a bit too personally.
What do you think of this wacky apartment rescue? Let me know in the reviews. Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story so far, be sure to favorite or follow. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but if any flames, then it's down the drain.
Until next time, keep on rocking!