Zootopia was a nice place to live. If you believed all they said on television, magazines, social medias, tourism websites and those flyers and posters that they placed everywhere.
However, there was a lot they didn't said in those. Things like the fact that Zootopia, like any modern city, was not really as picture perfect as they made it seem. Of course, since the city was basically promoting itself it was only natural that they would focus on the better things and leave some of them out.
For example, they were keen on talking about the best places to stay when you came to the city, like the famous Palm Hotel, where celebrities and the filthy rich could stay. They also spoke about the nice communities in the inside of the city, like the gate community full of mansions and those high-class clubs called Vole Gardens. But they let out the place where the less wealthy guys could stay if they didn't had the money to afford these things.
We are talking about some smaller and dirty slums where mammals were forced to stay if they were not the privileged kind of bastards. Places that didn't had heated water or room service, with rundown walls and stairs and floors that creaked under your feet. This was not the kind of place where the rich bastards would be caught dead, but it is the kind of place where someone less privileged would be.
Of course, these places were not of all bad, as some of them could be actually very charming. Not only that, but they were discreet, much more than those fancy places where the rich usually went. Also, they often accepted the payment in money and didn't asked many questions, making them the perfect kind of place for someone who was trying to lay low and not call too much attention.
As it was the case of the ones who were currently staying in a small apartment of the second floor of a building called Roadkill Stay. It was a cheap motel that was mostly as stop for someone who was driving across that part of the city and would, by any chance, want to spend a while in that rundown thing. It looked like your typical shady motel where you could find some dubious company.
It was not the kind of place one would go for comfort or luxury. The beds were hard, the walls were greasy, and it was in a place of humidity and cold, what made it somehow uncomfortable for most mammals. However, it was a charming place. At least in Blackwall's eyes.
"Ahhhh." The rat said, once more looking out of the window, standing in front of it with his arms behind his back, as if he was looking from the top of a skyscraper into the city bellow. "Zootopia. What a fascinating place."
As the rat was on his reminiscences, the door opened, and a big figure squeezed itself through the door that was a bit too small, just like the shirt that he was wearing.
"Hey, guys! I'm back!" Slimy Tusks said, walking into the room, and he was showing the bag that he was carrying in one hooved hand. "And I brought some grub."
"Oh, great, I am starved!" The hyena on black shirt and khaki shorts who was laying on the bed said, getting up and walking to the boar, picking up the bag that he was carrying.
"Okay, there is a pack of fried fish for me." Laughing Joe said as he removed a Styrofoam package from the bag as he placed it on the old, unsteady table that was on the small apartment, and he then removed something else. "And, some folded up sandwich..."
"That's Snowy's food." Blackwall said, turning to them and then climbing in the paw of the mammal that had been standing right by his side on the table. It was a snow leopard with blue eyes and quite tall and muscled. He had a vacant expression as he carried Blackwall on his paw and walked in direction to the table.
Laughing Joe handed him the sandwich as he sat on there and allowed the rat to walk on the table. He picked the thing with both paws and started to remove the wrapping around it, getting ready to eat.
"And, what about my food?" Blackwall asked, turning to look at Slimy Tusks, who was now standing by the table. The boar looked back at him and reached out into his pocket, pulling out what looked like a much smaller bag. "Cheese Addicted Choice, from Chez Cheez back in Little Rodentia, had to pay some guys to act as mediators to get it." He said as he carefully handed it to the rat, who took it and practically tore the plastic apart to reveal what was inside.
"And you, not eating?" Laughing Joe asked the big boar, who shook his head.
"Had grub while on the street. I found this place that has the greatest lizard meatloaf. They use a lot of sauce."
"And you do love the sauce and the fat, don't you, my corpulent friend?" Blackwall asked, as he had just taken a bite of this food, and he seemed to be quite delighted. "Hmmm, so good."
Soon the three mammals in there were eating their fill from the food that Slimy Tusks had brought. Blackwall was a messy eater, as he took huge bites and nearly looked like he wanted to tear the thing apart with his teeth as he ate it. The other two ate a little better, with Laughing Joe taking bites of his fried fish, while the snow leopard took some good bites of the big sandwich that was serve to him.
"This thing is great." Blackwall said, satisfied. "What about your food, is it nice?"
"The fish is fried to perfection." Laughing Joe said, taking a bit of yet another piece, and then the rat turned to the snow leopard.
"And you food, Snowy?" He asked, and the big feline swallowed his mouthful, and looked back at the rat.
"It is good." He said, in a way that was rather mechanic. "Chicken sandwich is really my favorite. I am glad that you got this for me."
"Well, I am glad that you are glad." Blackwall said, and returned to eat his cheese. All the while the other two mammals looked at the interaction, before they looked at each other.
"You know, Blackwall." Slimy Tusks said, causing the rat to look at him. "It still freaks me out how you can make other mammals end up like that just by looking in their eyes."
"Well, that is how the Mystic Eyes of Domination work." Blackwall said, "Just look dead in the eyes while you activate them and they are yours."
"Thanks for not using them on us again, sir." Laughing Joe said looking to the rat. Slimy Tusks looked at him, as he was still not use to see the hyena calling anyone "sir". The rat looked back at him and shrugged.
"I can only control one mammal at a time." He said simply, looking back at the hyena. "There were two of you, and even if I took control of one the other could still be a problem for me. Not to mention that the lion dude was distracting the other cops, and if I controlled the stronger of you, he would snap out of it and the cops would be on us. Requesting your help seemed to be the best thing to do."
"That is quite a reasonable thinking." Slimy Tusks said, as he knew that, as the bigger of the two, he would be the obvious choice to control. He could easily have beaten Joe to a pulp if the rat had actually take control over him.
"Hey, I am a mage." Blackwall said, looking at him, "We mages are a very reasonable lot... Well, most of us, anyway."
"Yeah, but you also didn't mind zonked us after we ran away." Laughing Joe said, "I mean; you could have done that as soon as the cops were no longer a problem."
"Yeah, I could." Blackwall said, "But then we found Snowy here." He pointed at the snow leopard, whom was finishing his sandwich mechanically. "The guy had a van and could be very useful, so I thought it was better to control him. Again, I choose the best course of action."
"Yeah, a van is nice." Slimy Tusks said, "Especially considering the purchases you have been doing with some of the gold."
"It is all necessary expenses." The rat said, and the boar looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Also, I have to thank you guys for going around trading the gold for me. I have to lay low for a while after that with the cops."
"You know, maybe we should lay low for a while too." Laughing Joe said, "I mean, Wilde and his bunny partner saw us back them, and I am pretty sure that they will be on our tails because of the gold. We really should try to stay out of sight for a while. If you agree, sir." He quickly added, looking at the rat, and he nodded.
"Yeah, I agree." He said, "This is why we will be leaving the city today."
"Do we have to?" Slimy Tusks said, "I have tickets for the next Stalkers game. And these are front row seats."
"The enforcers have been around asking about me." Blackwall said to him, "They have gotten information about me from a few local mages, and they are on the lookout for me now. After what the MTC pulled, they will surely be after my tail for having been making business with them. If the cops told them that you two were with me, then for sure they would try to use you both to reach me. Believe me, I know what the enforcers are capable of."
Slimy Tusks felt inclined to believe that, for the rat looked like he knew what he was talking about. Besides, Slimy Tusks had his own experiences with the law, and he wondered that, if the enforcers were anything like it, then maybe he should really get out of the city along with Blackwall for a while.
"The guys are still out for my blood ever since I spent these two weeks controlling that enforcer that one time." Blackwall admitted, "They really hate me for doing that, even though I didn't hurt him in any way."
"So, you are nice to all of the guys who enslave?" Slimy Tusks asked, "Just like you are being with the snow leopard?"
"Of course." Blackwall said, looking at him, "What, you think I am some kind of depraved sadist? No way! That would have been my father, but I'm much nicer than that."
"Well, that is comforting." Slimy said to him, "At least we know that you will treat us nicely if you ever decide that we are better as your slaves."
"Well, your purity would surely remain intact, if that is what you are so worried about." Blackwall said, "I'm not some pervert."
"Of course not!" Laughing Joe said, looking at the rat. "You are one of the nicest and coolest guys that I've ever met! And you are hardcore too! Taking control of one of the enforcers for two weeks? That is amazing! It just show how smarter and more skilled you are than these guys, and how they will never be able to catch you!"
Slimy Tusks rolled his eyes at this.
He had knew Joe for a few years now, and he had to admit, he had never before seen the hyena kissing up to someone as much as he was to that rat. Of course, that was the first time that they actually meet a mage (one that didn't wanted to kill them), and the rat really did helped them a bit in the past days. Still, Slimy Tusks was more prideful than the hyena, and he would not kiss up to anyone.
"Oh, you flatter me." The rat said back, and he took a moment to look at the two.
"You know, both of you have been pretty useful for me lately." He said to the boar and hyena. "You have bene going around the city to pick my deliveries. You helped me find this charming place to stay for a while. You even have been bringing me food without me needing to ask."
The two mammals looked back at him, and the rat continued.
"Also, you two are good to talk with. Well, better than the other company I usually have." He said, casting a glance to the controlled snow leopard. "I mean, the guys are still smart and all, and they can even talk if I ask them a question, but they are all mechanic and stuff."
"Kind of like robots?" Joe said, and the rat shrugged at this.
"And they basically agree with everything I say and don't really form opinions. I mean, it is good to know that I am in control, but sometimes I want to have a real conversation." The rat said, "In this point you both are really good. You guys can give some actual answers when I talk to you."
"Yeah, I guess this is a consequence of still having our free will." Slimy Tusks said, looking at the rat as he shrugged.
"You too make a really good conversation, sir." The hyena said, and the rat smiled back at both of them.
"I really like to have you guys around." He said, looking at them, "Say, would you both be interested in tagging along with me for a while?"
Slimy Tusks raised an eyebrow.
"Tagging along?" He asked, looking at the rodent, "You mean, as partners or as henchmen?"
The rat shrugged at this.
"Well, we can see about that later on." The rat said to them, "I just know that I want to have you guys around a little longer. So, what do you say? It will be a bit dangerous because we might deal with other mages, but I can do my best to protect you. Also, the payment is in gold and precious gems."
"Sounds great!" The hyena said excitedly, and Slimy Tusks, while being more careful, had to admit that a payment in gold seemed quite tempting.
"Of course, it will mean leaving Zootopia behind." The rat said to them. "I mean, I will get under surveillance of the clans every time I come in here and, once they realize that you two are with me now, you will be as well. These old families of mages look down on freelancers, and they mistrust us, and anyone who openly associates with us. You guys will probably be under a lot of attention of them if you remain in Zootopia for too long."
That was a point that got the two mammals.
They both had lived in Zootopia for most of their lives, and they didn't quite felt like leaving. This city was like a home for them, and being anywhere else would feel strange. And they didn't wanted some mages to be paying too much attention to them either. However, the offer of a payment in gold was something tempting to them, as it would mean a more profitable thing than they have had in a long time. Also, the fact that there would be a mage with them, protecting them from danger, would make them feel safer than they had in a while. They both had been a bit worried with the idea of running into mages ever since the whole thing began, and having a mage with them as their partner and protector would be something nice.
"Well, I guess you guys need some time to think, don't you?" He asked them, smiling at both as they looked back at him. "I'll tell you what, why don't you tag along with me for a little while? This way you can have a taste of what is it like to work with a freelancer. I'll let you know, it is not an easy life, but it does have its moments."
"So, you guys come with me and see if this life is for you. If you think you can take it, then we form a team. If it gets too hard, or if you miss your home, then we part ways." He said to them, "Either way, this does get you guys out of city for a while until the heat dies down. So, what do you think?"
They shared a look among themselves, as they considered what the rat had just offered.
"It... sounds like a reasonable plan." The boar said, sounding careful. The hyena, however, was a bit more enthusiastic.
"I really like this idea, sir." He said, looking at the rat. "I really want to see what your life is like."
"So, it's settled, right?" Blackwall said, sounding satisfied, and the two mammals confirmed it. Joe seemed like he was quite anxious for this, while Slimy was doing that most like "sure, why not?"
So, with this, they finished their meal, and soon they were getting ready to leave. They were going to leave Zootopia now, "while they still had the chance", as Blackwall had said to them himself.
So, "Snowy" picked the keys to his van, Slimy Tusks picked up the briefcase that still had gold left in it (as they only traded some bars for money), and Laughing Joe was now carrying Blackwall on his paws.
"Why don't we trade all that gold for money already?" The hyena asked, "I mean, wouldn't it be easier?"
"Mages prefer to use gold and other precious materials to make business." He said, "Besides, once we have some resources, we can melt the gold and give it another shape to make it easier to hide, and we will be able to trade it by money at any time."
"Besides, if we tried to trade all that gold for money it would surely call attention to us." Slimy Tusks said, "They would surely be asking where all of this money came from, and before we knew it the cops would be already breathing on our necks."
As they were getting to leave, Blackwall checked on his jacket. As he did, Laughing Joe was able to see that the jacket had some pockets inside, and that in some of those pockets were rodent-sized vials that contained some liquids of strange colorations.
The hyena got a bit curious, and asked him what were in there vials, to which the rat answered that it was acid.
"In the case of an emergency." He explained, and Laughing Joe didn't asked any more questions.
Soon, the four mammals were getting out of the apartment and walking down the stairs, making a quick stop into the front desk to pay the last of the bill (one gold bar discreetly passed to the guy so he would erase their names from his book and pretend they never came if anyone ever asked). Soon, they were all getting out of the building.
It was nearly empty on that specific street, and no one really looked at them as they walked down the road and turned a corner.
Soon they were catching sight of their vehicle. It was a white van owned by the snow leopard who they called "Snowy" (Blackwall was not good with names, although he found it quite easy to remember nicknames, like the ones of Laughing Joe and Slimy Tusks). It was big and it had a black snake printed on the side. It was somewhat off the road, hidden by the vegetation on the sidewalk, making it become quite inconspicuous.
"So, where are we going?" Laughing Joe asked, as they walked in direction to the half-hidden van.
"I have a small base that is situated in a nearby town." Blackwall said to them. "A place called Middleswool."
"Middleswool?" The boar asked, "That country bumpkin place that is full of sheep?"
"It is a very charming village." Blackwall said in answer. "Do you believe that no one in there ever gave me an evil glare? And no one ever paid true attention to me, everyone knows to mind their own business. It is a nice place to lay low."
"Yeah but... well, I kind of expected a place that had better internet connection." The boar said, "Or at least indoor bathrooms."
"Oh, come on, it is not like the place is a bunch of shacks in the middle of nowhere." The rat said to the big mammal. "It is actually a very nice place to be. You will see when we get there."
They were all walking to the van, when all of sudden, a shadow moved out of the trees and stood on their way.
"What the heck!?" Laughing Joe said, as he gave a step back, and so did the other two. Snowy stood where he was as he looked at the newcomer with an indifferent surprise, as he was incapable of demonstrating much more emotion than that in his state. Meanwhile, Slimy Tusks was on defensive, as he was holding the briefcase with the rest of the gold and looked like he was ready to fight.
The shadow stood in there, and then, it pulled its hood backwards. Suddenly, it was as if the shadow was no longer a shadow, and instead a black fox wearing a cloak.
"Ridley Blackwall." The fox said, pulling a dagger with a silver handle ornate with gemstones and leaving it in clear sight.
"Oh, darn..." Blackwall said, and right after, there was the sound of something hitting the ground. The three looked over to see that Snowy was now on the ground, with a dart sticking from his shoulder.
Turning around, they saw that there was a fox and a bunny in police uniform pointing their dart guns at them.
"Put your paws in the air!" Judy said, as she and Nick pointed their dart guns at them.
"You better do as they say." Said a female voice, which made the three look at the direction that it came from. Emilia stood in there, with her dagger on her own hand, and looking at the three with a smirk on her face.
"Are you serious!?" Laughing Joe said, as they saw themselves surrounded from all sides.
"You better not try anything." Marceli said, as he approached them. His dagger on in paw, and he looked ready to use it if the situation asked for it.
"Put your paws in the air!" Judy said once more, and Laughing Joe was already obeying, as he put a paw up, while the one that held Blackwall was still down. Slimy Tusks didn't seemed as willing to cooperate.
"How I didn't smelled you!?" He demanded, looking at the foxes around, and Nick was the one who answered, as he smiled.
"A good cop, much like a good scout, is always prepared." He said, as he pulled out what seemed to be a deodorant spray can, of blue and red coloration, with words in red in it saying "MUSK-AWAY".
"The Musk-Away spray!" He said, smiling as he held the can with one paw while the other one had his dart gun pointed at the boar. "Great for when you are going through certain biological periods and letting out some strong smell that is causing reactions on your friends and co-workers! Also, if you are a cop going after some perp with a particularly strong nose, it is perfect for masking your natural scent so they won't notice you closing in on them!"
Nick sounded just like a salesman saying this, and Slimy Tusks snorted at him, as he gave a single step in direction to Wilde. However, he was once more told to raise his hooves, for they were not kidding.
"You better do as they say." Blackwall said, catching the attention of the boar. "We have no chance of winning here." He said, and then the boar noticed that the rat also had his little paws up in sight.
He looked at him. Then looked back at the cops and at the other foxes surrounding them.
He wanted to fight back.
He wanted to at least go down fighting.
However, even he recognized that this was a battle that he could not win, and he was not in the mood for either being darted and waking up in a cell or whatever it was that the foxes with the daggers would do.
So, very reluctantly, the boar raised his hooves in surrender.
"You are really loving this, aren't you Wilde?" Slimy Tusks said, as he glared angrily at the fox. Nick only looked back at him with his usual sly smile, that poker face that no one could really see through unless Nick decided to let them.
The boar and Laughing Joe, as they were both pawcuffed, were made to kneel, and Nick searched both of them while Judy looked at both of them with her dart gun ready. Training let her know that she should not drop her guard, even if they were cuffed, due to their bigger size. They had no weapon with them.
Between the two kneeling, cuffed mammals, with Laughing Joe now wearing a muzzle, as per procedure, was Blackwall. The rat was sitting in the ground as he looked at both of them, and both of the enforcers had their eyes on him as they had their daggers on their paws, as if they were daring the rat to try anything.
Nick made a quick search into the rat, and he soon was asking the small guy to remove his jacket. The rat did so, and Nick turned it inside out, revealing the hidden pockets, inside of which there were the vials.
They knew it was acid when they picked one of them and unblotted it, letting some of it fall to the ground. It immediately started to smoke and hiss as the strong acid ate through the concrete.
"Still with you little tricks, Blackwall?" Marceli asked, looking at the small rodent.
"I am a rat." Was his answer. "This is basically what everyone expects from me, right?"
Marceli didn't answered to this, and instead he just placed the vials away gently, along with the jacket. As they did, him and everyone else failed to notice that the rat had, while removing the jacket, managed to get a single vial out of it, and now he was holding it into his paw, keeping it out of sight...
"So, we taking them back to the station?" Nick asked; Emilia looked back at him.
"Why?"
"To book and question them." Judy said, "That is the procedure."
"Yeah, the enforcers have their own procedures." Emilia said to the bunny, "You understand, right?"
"Yes, but..." Judy tried to say, however, she was cut off by no other than Blackwall.
"So, the enforcers are truly working along with the common police now, huh?" He asked, causing all eyes to turn to him. "Well, that certainly is something. Tell me, do you guys share all of your information with them? Or do you still keep to the old ways and just tell them what is convenient?"
"We ask the questions in here, Blackwall." Marceli said firmly, looking back at the rat, "And you better not try any tricks." He warned to Blackwall, who chuckled.
"Yeah, of course..." He said, and crossed his legs, placing his paws in between the gap of his crossed legs. In there, the vial he managed to keep hidden was in his paws, and he was now able to handle it with both paws while still keeping it hidden.
"So, what would be your questions?" He asked, trying to keep them attentive on him but unaware of what he had with himself. "Well, firstly the most obvious, I assume."
"Why are you in Zootopia?" Marceli asked, looking back at him.
"I was conducting a business." He said.
"With the MTC." Judy said, looking at him, and he looked back at the bunny.
"That's right, Officer Hopps." Blackwall said, and he added: "I have to say, you kind of remind your mother. You see, I actually met her years ago when I was younger. She was in an assignment that her family had gave her..."
"The clans did not knew that you were visiting their land, did they?" Marceli asked, quite directly, making the rat stop and look at him. "I find it hard to believe that they would not have kept you under watch if they knew, considering your history."
"You referring about the fact that I am a freelancer?" Blackwall asked to him. "That I am not the kind of honorable mage that dedicates every single waking moment of his day searching for some great power that I'll never achieve for as long as I live?"
Marceli looked at him with indifference. After a few seconds, the rat sighed.
"No, I made sure to stay out of the sight of the clans when I came to Zootopia. After all, it is not like I came in here to stay."
"Really?" Marceli asked him.
"Yes, really." He said, looking at the fox in the eye. "What, not taking the word of a rat? Or not taking the word of a freelancer?"
"I am not taking the word of a mammal that has knowingly broke the laws of the codex many and many times, and that once used his magecraft against a colleague of mine."
Blackwall looked at him for a few moments, and then he nodded.
"Fair enough." The rat admitted, and then he looked back at Marceli. "But, seriously, I didn't came in here with any ill intentions, honest."
"Then why were you here?" Marceli asked, and the rat shrugged.
"I was looking for a place to take a breather." He said, "Do you know how stressing the life of a freelancer is? Performing all kinds of crazy stunts to earn food money, having to deal with these crazy clients, being constantly looked down by the mage community who considers you so low that you can't be one of them but has no problem into hiring you to do the dirty work for them? And it is even worse when you are a rat! The guys want to underpay you, they look at youlike you could betray them at anysecond and don't want to touch you or anything that you touch without having it cleaned first. And you have to such it up and work for them if you want to be paid."
Blackwall looked at all of them, before sighing and slumping his shoulders.
"Sometimes you just need to take a break from all of it."
The four mammals looked at him, sharing looks among themselves.
"So, you came here in Zootopia as a vacation?" Judy asked him, and the rat nodded.
"Yeah. I mean, Zootopia is among the top ten places to visit in the Animerican continent." He said, speaking it quite casually with them. "It seemed like a good place to stay and cool down. Come on, everyone needs a little breather once in a while, right?"
The four mammals continued to look at him.
"So, you came in here hiding from the clans?" Emilia asked him. "If you planned nothing wrong, then why keep it a secret? Why not just come, spend some time in here and then leave?"
"With the clans?" Blackwall asked, looking at the vixen. "Yeah, these guys would be breathing on my neck all the time I was in here. Especially these sheep supremacists of the Bellwether, these guys wouldn't give me a break. I would never be able to fully enjoy myself if I the clans so close to me that I could bump into them if I made a sudden move. I need my space and my privacy."
There was a bit of silence as the mammals around processed what the rat some said. It had a little bit of logic, some of them had to admit.
"So, you came here in vacation." Marceli said, "Not to make or conduct any form of business or job?"
"None at all."
"Then how come you ended up making business with the MTC?"
"Oh, that was pure chance." Blackwall said, looking at the fox.
"I was just minding my own business, relaxing in here and seeing what kinds of foods I could eat, when suddenly some guy from the MTC comes to me." The rat explained.
"Would it have been the same panther that made business with you back them, by any chance?" Nick Wilde asked, and the rat smiled at him.
"Yeah, the very same. Apparently he came in here with a friend to try to see if they could set a new base." The rat explained. "That was when they found out I was in here."
"Settling a base?" Marceli asked, "I'm not sure if the clans would give permission to that."
"Why?" The rat asked, "Are you new here?"
There was a clear mockery in what the rat was saying, and the black tod looked back at him with crossed arms and a serious expression. After a while, the black vulpine decided to press on.
"So, you were keeping hiding from the clans, but the MTC was able to find you?" The black tod asked.
"Sounds really suspicious." Emilia butted in, looking at the rat with a mistrusting gaze. Judy looked at her, and she had to admit that it sounded a bit strange that the MTC was able to find him if he was making so much effort to hide from the clans.
Almost as if they had not found him by accident.
"Well, what can I say?" Blackwall said, looking at the enforcers and cops. "Maybe it was fate."
The mammals continued to look at him.
"So, you got found by the MTC." Marceli said, looking at him, "And then you thought that it would have been a good idea to offer your services to them."
"Hey, they were the ones who came up to me." The rat said defensively, "They said that there was something that they needed done and that a freelancer like me could solve it for them. I even tried to refuse, but those guys were really insistent. In the end, I ended up accepting after they said that the payment was going to be good."
They looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Oh, come on." Blackwall said to all of them, "Are you saying that, if someone came to offer you a lot of gold to do your job during your vacation, you would have refused it?"
"Depends on the conditions." Nick said to him, and Blackwall looked back at him.
"So, they offered you gold to perform a job to them." Marceli asked, looking at the rodent. "Any chance you could give us specifics on the kind of job that they hired you to do?"
The rat looked at him for a few moments, as if he was evaluating him, before he shrugged.
"It was a recovery job." He said, rather casually, "I just had to track down something and bring it to them. Kinda tame, comparing to the other kinds of jobs that I had to do in the past. It seemed rather simple... at first."
"At first?" Judy asked him, "You meant that it turned out not to be so simple?"
"Yeah." Blackwall said, looking up as if he was admiring the clouds in the sky. "I mean, it was just recovering something, right? How bad could it be. So, I accepted their offer, but regretted it as soon as they told me what was the thing that I actually had to recover."
"Then why didn't you refused the job?" Emilia asked him, and the rat looked back at her.
"Because they doubled the payment."
Nick and Judy shared a look, while Marceli looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"What? I am a freelancer!" The rat said, as if this was all of the justification that he needed to offer.
"Right..." Judy said, "So, any reason why they had to double the offer for you to go and retrieve that thing?"
The rat looked back at her.
"Mostly because it was something that would call a lot of attention." The rat said to her, "Also, because I knew that to be able to find it I would need to go straight into the ruins of the city of Fangtropolis."
"What?" Judy asked, quite surprised, and so was Nick.
"Yeah, I had to go to the city where the thing once was." Blackwall said.
"What. What thing?" Nick asked. The rat looked at them both for a few seconds, before a smirk formed on his muzzle.
"You mean you guys haven't told them?" He said, turning to the enforcers. "You guys haven't told them, like... anything at all?"
The enforcers said nothing at this, as Marceli continued to look at him with his usual serious expression, while Emilia looked away. Meanwhile, Nick and Judy were now looking at the enforcers.
"Well, now that is interesting." The rat said, "And I guess it answers my question about either you are fully sharing things or if you only tell them what is convenient. Well, I guess that is actually to be expected from enforcers."
"Wait a minute, you mean you guys know what is that thing?" Nick said, looking at them, and so was Judy. Emilia looked back at them, and she was opening her mouth to speak, when Marceli said:
"It had nothing to do with the investigation." The black tod said, causing the eyes to turn to him. "And it still doesn't."
Blackwall laughed a bit at this, and he looked at the two cops.
"So much for cooperation, right?"
"Don't try to talk your way out of this, Blackwall." Marceli said to him. "You won't be able to evade capture this time."
"Oh, I am not trying to evade anything." The rat said. "I mean, you already got me, right?" As he spoke, he held into the single vial of acid that he had out of sight from the enforcers and cops. He knew that he only had one chance, so he would have to be really smart about it.
"I am just admiring the fact that the enforcers still act like any proper mage does." He said, looking at the enforcers. "Keeping secrets from the ones around you until you have no choice but to reveal them."
"What secrets?" Judy asked, looking in between the mages in there, and so were the other non-mages present in the place. "What are you not telling us?"
"It is not important." The black fox said, looking at the bunny, "I has absolutely nothing to do with the investigation."
"Well, I have to disagree." Judy said, looking at the black tod. "Knowing the nature of the object that the MTC was so interested in acquiring and in retrieving will help us understand better the motivations they have, and this could actually help us better predict their next moves and to know if they could try something like that again."
Marceli looked at her for a few moments, and it seemed that he was actually trying to find an argument to rebound what the bunny just said. However, it looked like he was not really able to find any. At least no one that would be really good.
"Ohhh, wining an argument against an enforcer." Blackwall said, looking at the bunny, apparently with admiration. "Not many can actually do that, and even less can actually get away with it. You have just earned my respect, Judy Hopps. I can totally see some of your mother in you."
Judy turned to him, and it was obvious that she was not letting herself be sweet-talked. However, it seemed that she had to decide to assume the questions.
"Ridley Blackwall, I am going to ask you questions and I expect direct answers." She said to him, sounding as professional as it was possible to be as a cop in a situation like that. Blackwall smiled back at her.
"Fire away." He said, and Judy looked at him.
"Did you really had to go to the ruins of Fangtropolis to get that object?" She asked, and the rat looked back at her.
"Well, I just said that, didn't I?" he deadpanned.
"He's got a point, Carrots." Nick said, looking at the bunny, and she silenced him with a single look, before she resumed her questions.
"Why did you needed to go to Fangtropolis to get it?" She asked, and the rat shrugged.
"Because that was where the thing was." He said, looking at the bunny. "What better places to look for the pieces of that thing than the very place where it had been before it blew up?"
"Pieces?" Nick asked, and Blackwall looked back at him.
"Yes, pieces." Blackwall said, "They say that most of them simply disintegrated when the thing exploded, but some of the pieces survived and scattered around with the explosion."
"So, that object is actually a piece of something else?" Judy asked, looking at the rat, "Something bigger?"
"You betcha, bunny girl." The rat said, looking back at her. "I mean, you noticed how it kind of looks like a shard of something, right?" he said, looking at her, and Judy said nothing, just looking at him.
"With all due respect, I think we are divagating here." Marceli said, "Maybe we should go back to the questions that are directly pertinent to the case."
"So, asking him what was the thing he wanted to sell to the MTC and how he got it is not pertinent?" Nick asked, looking at the black tod. Marceli only looked back at him without saying a word, and Nick knew that he had made a point.
"So, what was it a piece of?" Judy said, looking back at him. "Some kind of object, or structure? Or of some machine?"
The rat looked at her, and he smirked.
"It was a piece of something that you would only see in a dream, bunny girl." He said, as he looked at the bunny. "Something so amazing that mages would dream of one day seeing it with their own eyes and getting their paws on it."
He was looking at the two cops as he spoke that, seeing that he had their full attention.
"And also..." He said, looking in between the two, "Something that is essential to a certain High Thaumaturgy ritual that is very famous among mages, even if mostly just by rumors and hearsay."
Judy and Nick shared a look, and the enforcers said nothing on it.
Judy looked at the little rodent, and she then asked the question that was coming to mind at that very same moment:
"This thing you are talking about..." She asked, looking at Blackwall. "The thing from which that is a fragment of. The thing you are talking about right now..." Judy hesitated, but only for a moment, and then she asked:
"Did it had anything to do with the Darkest Hour?"
A dead silence followed this. A kind of silence that could be compared by that that preceded cataclysmic disasters, like the Darkest Hour was considered by many.
During this silence, the enforcers both looked away. Blackwall, on the other paw, was looking back at the bunny who asked him that, and Judy could swear that he seemed to having a satisfaction in telling her these things, if his smirk was of any indication.
His answer was a single sentence word.
"Yes."
Judy and Nick shared a look between themselves, before they looked at the enforcers, who were still looking away.
These two knew.
"So, do you guys need a moment?" Blackwall asked, as he looked at the four mammals, and noticed the tension that was suddenly forming between them. "Maybe we could go wait on the other side of the road while you guys short it out."
"Don't even try, Blackwall." Marceli said, suddenly looking at the rat with a serious expression. "You are not getting out of this as easily."
The fox was serious as he looked at him, and Judy and Nick still looked at the two.
"So, anything else that you guys have not told us?" Nick asked the two, and Marceli looked at him. However, he said nothing.
"Look, it is not that we want to keep secrets." Emilia said, and Blackwall laughed a bit at this. Emilia gave him a glare, before she turned her gaze back to the two cops.
"Is just that... well... Uncle Marcel?" She said, finally giving up trying to explain, and her uncle sighed, as he looked at the two cops.
"There is a lot of sensitive information in the world of magecraft." He said, looking at the two, "There are certain things that, if revealed, could bring a lot of problem and public reaction. This is something that we don't need right now, not when the relations between mages and non-mages actually have a chance of improving."
The two cops looked back at them.
"You mean, things like the piece of a ritual that destroyed an entire city now being in Zootopia and sold as a commodity?" Nick said, looking at the enforcers, and they looked back at him.
"Yes. Things like that." Marceli said, looking back at Nick. "What can I say? We are mages. Secrecy is part of our lives."
It seemed this was the kind of answer they expect the cops to accept and roll with. Judy would have complained about it to the two, however, a more pressing thought got into her head.
"Wait, is that dangerous?" Judy asked, looking at the enforcers. They looked back at her.
"The thing that is a part of the ritual that destroyed Fangtropolis is dangerous?" She asked, looking at them. She then looked at Blackwall. "Is that piece of the thing dangerous? Could it do the same thing that the entire thing did?"
The rat looked at him, and shrugged.
"No... Yes? Maybe? Honestly, I am not sure." He said, and this caused Judy to become worried, as she and Nick shared a look among themselves. The idea of an event like the one of Fangtropolis happening in Zootopia...
"But, I am most inclined towards 'no'." Blackwall said as if to make them calmer. "I mean, if I thought that the thing could actually make a disaster like that happen I wouldn't have agreed to go after it in first place. Pieces of something don't have the same weight and power as the original thing. Any reasonable mammal can assume that." He said, and he looked at the enforcers, as if to look for validation of his words.
"Still, you can notice that the thing still has power." Blackwall continued, looking down. "You just have to get close to it and you know. The moment you look at it, you realize that it has power on its own. If you hold it in your paws, you can swear that it is almost pulsing. Look at it for long enough, and you will realize that it is something that you have always wanted and never truly knew until seeing it."
Everyone looked at Blackwall, as the rat looked up at the sky, as if he suddenly forgotten that they were around him. The rat they let out a sound of mild amusement.
"No wonder the MTC actually wants it." The rat said, "Especially if a single fragment is capable of doing something even remotely similar to what the entire thing can do."
Judy and Nick shared a look, and so did the enforcers, as well as Laughing Joe and Slimy Tusks.
"I knew that the thing was serious." Blackwall said, "I knew and still I got involved in this. I wanted to see with my own eyes, the thing. I wanted to see a piece of that thing I heard so much about. It wasn't about the money."
He looked down a bit, before looking back up at the mammals around him.
"I mean... it wasn't all about the money." He said with a chuckle, and this granted everyone to stare at him.
"Anyway, I knew that I would be in a pickle if the clans caught me on their land with that." He said, looking around, "That was why I knew that I needed to solve it quickly. Get the thing, come back, give it to the MTC and then leave the city before anyone could get the wiser. It almost went like that."
The ones around took in what he was saying.
"I should have left as soon as I got my payment." Blackwall said, "I should have just took it and vanished... But, a few things happened that made me rethink this." He said, and the enforcers and cops once more traded looks among themselves."
"What things?" Emilia asked.
"Well, meeting some interesting guys." He said; casting glances at the boar and hyena by his sides. "Also, wanting to stay out of sight from the clans for a bit, since they put more guys watching the entrances and exits of the city. And also... I could not lose a great chance that appeared before me."
"Great chance?" Judy asked, and Marceli asked soon after:
"Did you received another job offer?"
Blackwall chuckled.
"No... something much bigger than that." He said, looking at them with a strange smirk on his face. "Something that I could give away all of the gold in the world to have."
They looked at him, and Marceli noticed that the rat was casting his glace to somewhere else. Following that gaze, he saw the van.
"Emilia." He said, causing his niece to look at him. He gestured with his head to the van, and the vixen quickly got the message.
She walked in direction to the parked vehicle, and stopped when she was a few feet away from it. She pulled out her dagger, as if she was ready to fight in the case of problem. She continued to walk cautiously to it, and then placed a paw on the handle of the door on the back of the van, and swung it open.
She was in combat position. However, nothing came lunging at her when she opened that door.
She stood in there, without moving, as she looked at what was inside of that van.
It was...
"I arrived in Zootopia just in time for the Cheese Appreciation Festival!" Blackwall said, as the mammals looked in between him and the van that Emilia had just opened. From there they could see that the van was loaded.
"The best brands of cheese from all around the world! And all of that open for purchase! I had just received a hefty payment in gold, what else could I do!?"
Everyone just stared either at the rat or at the van. Meanwhile, Slimy Tusks rolled his eyes.
Rodents...
"That's a staggering amount of parmesan cheese." Nick said, as he and the others looked Emilia pick up one of the wheels of cheese and hold it for them to see. The inside of the van seemed to be loaded with these.
"There is no such thing." Blackwall said, looking back at the tod, while the other ones looked back at him.
"So, you stayed in here and risked facing the wrath of the clans... for cheese?" Marceli asked, deadpanning as he looked at the rat, who simply smiled back at him.
Sighing, Marceli decided to continue the questioning of the rat.
How he was contacted by the MTC?
The guys came to him with an offer that he could not refuse.
How did the MTC was able to find you?
Well, who knows how these guys manage to find people, right? He had heard that once they were able to find a guy who had been on the run for nearly eight years and made him one of their operatives.
What are the plans of the MTC for the package?
Well, considering what it was it could be anything, right? What would you be planning if you were on their place?
And so on the questions continued. However, Blackwall was showing that he was rather good at dancing around the questions. It seemed that for everything that Marceli asked he had an answer ready. Nick was quite admire at him, while Marceli was starting to get some annoyance for the way that the rat was effectively avoiding giving them any useful answer, apparently on purpose.
As he continued, at some point, Judy spoke:
"Is it really okay to do a questioning right here in the middle of the street?" She asked, looking at the fox, who looked back at her. "I mean, this is so out of procedure."
"What, because he is not inside of a room with one of those one-sided mirror windows?" Emilia asked, looking at the bunny.
"Yes." She said, "And because he does not have a lawyer with him. And because he is not currently pawcuffed! I mean, he could try something."
"Let him try." Emilia said, looking at the rat as if she was daring him to even think of trying something.
"Look, I know that enforcers do things their way, but in the police we have procedures." Judy said, looking back at them. "These procedures are quite important when you apprehend a suspect, and we are not really following any of them at the moment."
"Oh, don't attach yourself too much to procedures." Emilia said to her, "They are way overrated. As you can see, we have everything completely under control. There is no way that this rat will be able to escape."
"We should at least take them to a more secluded area." Judy offered, "I mean, we are in the middle of an open street."
"So what?" Emilia asked.
As if on cue:
"Hmmm, excuse me?" Someone said, and the eyes all turned around to look at who it was.
It was a big elephant, who looked at all of the mammals in there.
"Excuse me, but what is going on in here?" He asked, sounding curious. And perhaps a little worried for seeing foxes and a bunny with pawcuffed animals near them.
"Hey, big guy!" Blackwall said, causing the elephant to look at him, just in time to see his eyes change to a deep purple coloration.
"No!" Marceli said, but it was too late. The eyes of the elephant now had changed to match the ones of the rat.
"Get them!" Blackwall commanded, and the elephant trumpeted as he immediately obeyed.
The pachyderm swung his trunk at the mammals. They didn't had time to properly react, as they were able to avoid the worst of the hit, but all of them lost their weapons as they dove out of the way.
They didn't even had time to recover before the elephant came at them again.
He immediately grabbed Marceli by the neck with his trunk, causing the black tod to gasp as he was raise in the air and shaken like a ragdoll.
"Uncle Marcel!" Emilia said, and she was about to rush to him, but the elephant was faster, swinging a massive leg at her in a kick. The vixen only had time to put her arms in front of her body and send enough magic energy to them to make them able to withstand the impact.
Still, the sting in her arms was massive as her bones were under a lot of pressure. The impact also sent her flying back, and she fell heavily to the ground, groaning and barely conscious after that.
Nick and Judy immediately tried to run for their dart guns. However, the Elephant looked like he was having none of it, as he swung his trunk, trying to hit them with the black fox that he was holding by the neck, and trying to stomp them with his big feet as well.
Blackwall was wasting no time in using this chance, as he immediately turned to his two new friends, finally exposing the vial of acid that he had in his little paws.
"Both of you stand completely still!" He said, as he ran past them and opened the vial. His little paw lighted up with his magic circuits, as he moved it over the top of the bottle. Immediately, the acid inside started to float out of the bottle and around his paw, until it took the form of an arrow.
As he now stood behind the two mammals, he made a tossing gesture, causing the arrow of acid to fly from his paw straight into the direction to the pawcuffs on Laughing Joe. It landed right on the chain, and it hissed as the acid ate away through the metal, until the chain simply snapped on its own, freeing the hyena.
As Blackwall made it again, and used what was left of the acid to form another arrow and toss it in the chain of Slimy Tusks' cuffs, Laughing Joe immediately took his paws to his face to remove that thing from his jaw. He really hated muzzles, especially when someone put them on him.
Once the three mammals were free, they were quick to use this chance to flee.
The cops and enforcers were busy with the pachyderm, and this gave them the perfect opportunity to elope. Laughing Joe had Blackwall on his paws while Slimy Tusks retrieved the briefcase with gold.
Soon they were running without looking back. Although, Blackwall did felt bad for leaving all of his precious cheese behind...
Nick and Judy had to move constantly to avoid becoming victims of that crazed elephant, who swung Marceli at them like a living club, and tried to kick and stomp at them at any chance that he got. Judy did noticed that he seemed to focus on Nick more than on her, however, this did not meant that she was out of danger, as the elephant would aim at her as well if he got the chance.
Meanwhile, Emilia was still where she fell. She was still dizzy and seeing starts, and the ache of her arms was something unbearable. She didn't knew that elephants could kick so hard. Sure, they were big and full of muscles, but still...
Judy had just avoided the incoming foot of the elephant by diving out of the way. She rolled on the ground until she stopped very close to two pairs of dart guns.
Nick had just dodged another swing of the black tod by the elephant, who seemed like he was getting madder at Nick for keeping dodging. Not that Nick would willingly stay in there to let himself be wacked.
"Nick!" Judy said, causing the fox to look at her, as she showed him that she had their guns back.
Nick quickly dashed to her side, as she tossed his dart gun to him, and now both of them were pointing them at the elephant.
As an answer, the elephant moved Marceli in front of himself, and squeezed a bit his trunk around the black tod's neck, causing him to wheeze. This caused the two cops to stop, as they now saw themselves in what seemed to be a hostage situation.
"I think I can get a clear shot." Nick said, aiming for the elephant, who was swinging the black tod in front of himself.
"The anesthetic takes a few seconds to take effect. He could snap Mieczyslaw's neck." Judy said, and Nick had to recognize that she was right.
It seemed that they were stuck in a stalemate. However, Marceli was about to turn the tables.
Grunting, the fox activated his magic circuits, sending magical energy to his arms and to around his neck. The magic energy around the muscles of his neck made them stronger, allowing him not to be choke by the trunk around it. Meanwhile the magical energy on his arms made them equally stronger, allowing him to place his paws on the trunk and start to squeeze it.
The elephant let out a surprised, half-muffled trumpet, as the black tod, as if fighting a constrictor snake, managed to unravel the trunk from around his neck.
Soon, the black tod let go of it, and landed on his feet on the ground, while the elephant steppe back.
In this moment, Judy and Nick both pulled the triggers, firing their dart guns at the elephant.
One dart hit him on the belly, while the other landed on his arm. The tips of the darts were able to penetrate the skin, and they barely caused any real pain to a mammal that big.
The elephant blinked, looking at the darts, a bit surprised and confused, and he looked back at the cops.
He managed to give a single step on their direction, before he started to feel lightheaded. Two more stumbling steps and the elephant had fallen to the ground, unconscious.
Everyone was breathing heavily after this ordeal, and it took a few seconds before they remembered Blackwall and the other two. They looked around, but the three were already gone.
"They escaped." Marceli said, his paws clenching into fists.
Emilia had recovered, and was approaching the cops as she rubbed both her still stinging arms. That was when Judy said:
"That's why we have protocol."
This chapter here is done. Hope you have liked.
Also, I may or may not take a break from this story to work on another one, meaning that there may be no chapter posted next week. But, I might change my mind, let's wait and see.
Please, read and review. No flaming but constructive criticism always welcome.