Chapter 5:
(Okay, I'm sorry I ended things on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'll try to pick things up a little here. Anyways, time for the Dolphin-Season Part II)
"Ladies and gentlemen, your MC for the Good Samaritan Awards…" The announcer said, meaning it was almost time for the award ceremony. Shark still played the role of a pregnant woman, breathing heavily. "All right, Shark, we're in." Wolf said, trying to make Shark shut up. "Oops, I forgot I'm not pregnant." He said. "What's with the deep breaths, anyway?" Zeke asked, "Oh! Sorry, Zekey, I forgot you were still on the line." Shark apologized. "…president of the committee, Governor Diane Foxington." The announcer finished. Diane approached the podium with a cheerful attitude, "Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you." She thanked,
"Last year, we faced our biggest test when a meteorite crashed into our dear city. That meteorite didn't just make a hole in our city, it made a hole in our hearts." The audience and Shark let out an "Aww." Zeke let out a few tears, and brushed them with his sleeve. "But even in tragedy, Professor Marmalade, he did what he does so well. He made us look at things differently." If that wasn't quite literally demonstrated by the video footage, Zeke wouldn't know.
"And thanks to you, Marmalade, the Love Crater Meteorite will forever serve as a symbol of how there is good, even in the worst places." the guests applauded as Diane finished that part of the speech. "This is going surprisingly smoothly." Wolf said, but then the next minute may have been him jinxing it. "What the molt is that?" Snake said, afraid in the moment. Zeke heard everything on comms and was startled.
"The Wolf-Piranha-Snake-Shark-Tarantula Protection System!" Wolf said, "The W.P.S.S.T?!" Webs said over the later. Wolf started to worry.
"Guys, calm down, I've got this. Initiating W.P.S.S.T Override Protocol!" She said, Zeke imagining she flips a usb as if it were a coin. "Get it, queen!" She said. Zeke started worrying if they'll be okay. "J-Just get outta there, Dad…" he muttered.
"Did it work?" Wolf asked Webs, "Just give me five minutes!" Webs said, needing to work harder. Zeke looked over to Diane as she continued,
"Please join me in welcoming to the stage…" Snake quietly shouted: "We don't have five minutes!" Diane said the professor's name, with everyone applauding and cheering for him. The professor was blushing with embarrassment as he walked to the stage. "The pig is on the move. I repeat, the pig is on the move." Shark whispered into his radio, "You guys need to get out of there!" Zeke said, too worried to let it continue.
"We're fine, kiddo! Webs, the curtain's going up any minute." Wolf said, "It's not letting me in!" Webs explained her situation.
Wolf and Snake made random suggestions, hoping they were the answer. "Oh my gosh, you fixed it." She said, sarcastically. Wolf and Snake asked at once; "Really?" "NOOO!" She shouted at them. "Oh no, A-Aunt Webs!" Zeke said, seeing Chief Luggins as she approached the security door, knocking on the door and asking the surveillance guy. "Oh no, no, no. Shark, I got a situation here." Webs said, "Copy that, I'm on my way." Shark said,
The child took a few deep breaths and immediately went back to watching the award ceremony. "Hurry up, guys." Piranha said, grunting. Zeke pulled his earpieces out for a second to and shut his eyes. This whole situation was stressful for him. He refocused his attention to Professor Marmalade's speech. "This award is for—" Then, everyone heard a weird noise coming from above, Marmalade cleared his throat and smiled nervously, "As I was saying—". Zeke immediately knew his Tío Pepe had farted in the vent. "Seriously? He didn't even lie this time!" He muttered, aggravated.
"—And that's why my Gala for Goodness will all the money needed for those less fortunate." The professor had said. Zeke looked up at that, wondering if the homeless shelter he used to live at is among one of those things. "And now: the moment we've all been waiting for…" Diane had finished, signaling the curtain to lift. Zeke put his earpiece back in and listened to see if his family got out in time, "Yes! Whoop-bam!" Tarantula said, happily. Zeke took that to mean she made it past the W.P.S.S.T. He was conflicted, he's happy his family was safe, but at the same time, he feels bad for the professor.
When they realized the Golden Dolphin was gone, the guests were in shock. Diane returned to the podium and urged the public to calm down, telling them there must be an explanation for this. Zeke saw his family returning to the exit through the crowd. "Nice work, everybody. Now, let's make like a wolf and get the pack out of here." Zeke didn't know how to feel, he just on a fake smile and walked off with his family. "Ah, wordplay." Piranha said, "I don't get it." Wolf immediately patted the shoulder of his son.
"How'd the exhibits go, kiddo?" Wolf said, smiling cheerfully. "Uh…Oh, they…they were cool, Dad." Zeke said and chuckled with a nervous smile, but then looked away.
"Diane, Diane, if I may." Marmalade said over the microphone, "You need to understand. I didn't bring hope back to the city for an award. I did these good things because of how they made me feel." He explained, "That tingly feeling I get. That shiver up my spine. The wag in my tiny tail."That garnered Wolf's attention, he took off his sunglasses and looked behind him.
"Because you see, being good just feels so good, and when you're good…you're loved." He said. Wolf started to smile, but when his tail started wagging, he panicked. The others looked back and saw him, wondering what was going on.
Wolf stopped wagging and his fake mustache fell off
"It's the Bad Guys!" A guest had said, before Chief Luggins pushed two guests out of her way, "ARREST THEM!" The police jumped down, surrounding them instantly. "THEY STOLE THE GOLDEN DOLPHIN!" Wolf immediately calmed down and smirked,
"Come on, you can't prove that." He said, before the Golden Dolphin fell out of Shark's dress. "MY BABY!" He shouted, picking up the award and holding it like a baby.
Chief Luggins looked over at the young blue rabbit next to Mr. Wolf. "Who's this child? Why's he next to the Bad Guys?" Chief Luggins asked, "Young man, who are you and why are you walking with these criminals?" She asked, Zeke just inhaled loudly and asked: "Do you ever go to anger management? You're always angry when I see you on the news." He said, not the most impressive move. "Excuse me?!" Zeke, he shrugged and chuckled nervously. "That's his business with us, Chief." Wolf said, plainly, trying to maintain cover for his son. "On your knees, Bad Guys, with your hands up!" Snake jumped up and moved to his side, "Never! We're out of here!" Wolf readied his grappling hook and fired to the skylight window.
"So long, suckers!" He shouted to the cops, everyone huddled together to hold on. When the grapple finished reeling in, it only ripped Wolf's pants off. Wolf out his hand behind his head and brushed it, nervously. "Well, this just got a little weird." He said
Shark immediately covered Zeke's eyes, "Dang it, Dad." He muttered…Or so he thought, Instead, the police looked in surprise. Zeke's cover was blown as well.
(later)
Sirens started wailing as news reporter Tiffany Fluffit was reporting live on the scene. Zeke knew they were taking him for questioning, since they don't know him for being associated with the Bad Guys.
"Wow. You know, I just realized that I devoted my entire adult life to putting you in jail. You are my purpose." Chief Luggins said to Wolf, "Without you, who am I?" She said, seeming downtrodden, but then bounced back with a cackle. "I'm just kidding! This is the best moment of my life!" She shook and slapped Wolf in exhilaration. "It's the end if the Bad Guy." The others were being placed into the armored van. Shark, Snake, Webs and Piranha fought back, Zeke was shoved into the van. "Ow! I'm cooperating so you DON'T need to to do that, genius!" Zeke said, sarcastically. "You okay, buddy?" Shark said, trying to comfort him.
As Snake shouted his name, Wolf was scared…His legacy-cementing heist was a bust, he and his friend were getting arrested, and his son along with them. Wolf was afraid of losing everything in that moment. He looked down at his tail, remembering the tingle he felt during the heist.
As the press called out to the governor, Wolf turned his attention to how she and Professor Marmalade were handling them. That was when Wolf had an idea.
He quickly slipped out of Chief's hold. "Excuse me." He said, "Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to congratulate the governor here. I got to say, you really got us pegged. We're just a deep well of anger and self-loathing."
Zeke was shocked when he heard those words, guessing those were what Diane said. "Denial." Diane said, "Sure. That too." Wolf agreed, "Narcissism." Diane went on, "Yeah. Yeah." Wolf didn't want to hear the rest. "Emotional emptiness." Wolf gave her a deadpanned glare, "So we're on the same page." The rest of the Bad Guys and Zeke looked at him, "What is he doing?" Wolf gave them a sympathetic look, "Sadly, we were never given a chance to be anything more than second-rate criminals." He said, but Diane's sly smirk shows she wasn't buying his act. "If only there was someone who could help the flower of goodness inside us blossom. Some icon if love and forgiveness, like uh…I dunno. Mother Theresa." Zeke thought of the prayer he made as soon as his dad said that, wondering if The Lord was answering his prayers;Albeit in the most unexpected way. He wasn't too sure.
"Best thing is to just throw us in jail for the rest of our hopeless lives." Chief grabbed him, "Yeah, that's the plan." She said, trying to push him into the van, Wolf resisting. Chief grabbed Wolf and tried to throw him before a voice spoke up.
"Wait!" Wolf smirked in that moment, his plan seemed to work, "Mr. Wolf may be a savage beast. Basically walking garbage." Professor Marmalade said, before catching his words, "Sorry, I'm making a point." Wolf smiled at him, "Do what you need to do, pal." Marmalade put the award down and further explained, "But how can we say they're hopeless if they've never been given a chance? What if…What if we tried a little experiment, Diane?" He asked, "As you know, my Gala for Goodness—the hashtag charity event of the year—If I can prove to everyone at the gala that the Bad Guys have changed, will you set them free and give them a clean start?"
His suggestion caused tension and confusion among the crowd. "What? Professor Marmalade? Don't you see what he's doing? He's playing you!" Chief Luggins said, "But it was MY idea." The professor said, "It WAS his idea." Wolf said, keeping the smirk. "O-Only because you MADE him have it! Madame Governor, you can't just let them go!" Diane walked down a few steps, "Professor, I'm not about to put the safety of the city on the line for an experiment." She said. "Excuse me, Madam Governor. I seem to remember that a wise person once said, 'Even trash can be recycled into something beautiful." Wolf said, recalling their conversation from before.
Diane scoffed in surprise, and turned her attention to the rabbit. Wolf looked at his son, and said; "On one condition. Zeke stays with us. He's just a kid. My kid." Wolf said, not wanting the boy to be separated from them or put in juvie. Diane nodded, "Okay. I'm game. But ONLY because it's you, Professor." She said. The Chief shouted out her dismay, "We'll hold onto the dolphin until the gala, just to remove any unnecessary temptation." Marmalade agreed and handed her the award.
"Of course. Good thinking. That's why YOU'RE governor." Marmalade turned his attention, "Now that everyone's happy…" To which Chief frowned and muttered "Not happy." Marmalade walked down a few steps, straightened his tie, "I, Rupert Marmalade IV, will turn the Bad Guys into…" Zeke thought his next move was an anime pose, "The Good Guys!" Wolf smiled, his plan had worked, he took off his cuffs and gave them to the chief. "Hey." Diane had one more thing to say to Wolf, "Not everyone gets a second chance. Make the most of it, Mr. Poodleton." She said slyly.
Wolf saluted her and then shut the door to the van. "Wolf," Snake and the others were shocked at what had happened, "What are you doing?" Wolf asked "What?" And then pretended to remember: "Oh, that! I-I-I'm sorry, I thought it was uh, obvious. We're gonna go good!" He said cheerfully, "Uh…Okay." Zeke had plainly said, wondering if his dad actually had interest in going good.
"Uh, you totally lost me." Webs said, bluntly. Piranha was chained on the ceiling and swung his feet, "I told him to stop drinking out of the toilet." He said, "Wait, what?!" Zeke asked in confusion, "Hey, did you get hit on the head?" Shark asked.
"What? No, I didn't get…" Wolf told them, but Shark explained about why he thought Wolf got hit on the head.
"My cousin got hit on the head with an anchor and after that, he only swam in a circle." He said. "No, no, guys, guys, you're not following me. We're gonna pretend to go good. Just a few days with Marmalade." Zeke stiffened at this, knowing his dad was just trying to talk his way out of this situation. "And then, we roll into the gala as good guys, and roll out scot-free with…" The others figured out the answer, "The Golden Dolphin."
"You got it, since when do we NOT finish a job? The Bad Guys become the Good Guys, so we stay the bad guys. You know what I'm saying?" Wolf finished the explanation, the others started laughing,
"Bad guys acting good? It's the ultimate bad-guy thing. It's fantastic. Wolf, you're a genius!" Snake said.
"It's gonna be like most relaxing con ever. A vacation." Wolf said, "Oh! Oh! A con-cation!" Piranha said. "Whoa! My parents met on a con-cation!" Shark said.
"You DRANK from the toilet?!" Zeke asked randomly, with Wolf trying to defend himself. "It was ONE time, Zeke. I got drunk." He said nervously, before glaring at Piranha. "Why would you…Oh…Now I get it. You drunk weirdo." Wolf gave his son a deadpanned look, "Do I need to ground you for that?" He asked, "No…" He said, yawning. Wolf lock-picked Zeke's handcuffs and picked him up. "Here, buddy." Wolf said. "Dad, I'm not a-" "Not a baby, I know. Like, what kid likes it when their dad picks them up, heh? Rest up, kiddo. We'll be home soon, okay?" Wolf said, patting his back. "Ok…Night, guys. Night, Dad. Love you." Zeke said before falling asleep instantly. "Love you, too, kiddo." Wolf said. Zeke hoped in his heart that The Lord answered his call. But for now, that was unclear.
(And here we are! Thanks for reading so far, the heist was difficult to find stuff for my OC to do, so I hope it wasn't too filler based. Remember, stay strong and awesome! Don't forget who loves you most and He's always with you!)