"What are you doing here?" Chase asked out, still shocked at seeing the Rhodesian Ridgeback back in his life once more. Dash had stopped struggling the first time he was pounced down, now that he knew the dogs that had pinned him down, it suddenly ignited a new motivation to tussle and fight for his freedom. "None of your business, Let me go!" He shouted.
"Well it is our business because you were going through our trash can" Dixon pointed out, the trap he had been caught in wasn't anything that would break his leg thankfully, just something to keep him in place.
When the three dogs that held him down realized this, they slowly back off from Dash, letting him get backed up on his 3 paws, one front paw stuck in the trap that kept him clamped down. "I was looking for something to eat for the night, then I'll be gone" Dash muttered, he didnt like to explain his actions obviously, nevertheless to two cats.
"Getting something to eat...through our trash?" Dixie was taken a back, the thought of dining down on something from a trash can, where germs and bugs resided was out of this world to her. "Yes, We dogs arent as privileged as you cats, We fight for what we can get unlike some of us that are born lucky" He stated, No matter how much they negatively viewed the Ridgeback, they had to admit he had a point atleast. Cats all around the board were treated much better than Dogs in the County.
"So wait, How do you three know him?" Dixon asked, turning back to Chase, Rocky, and Rubble. Noting how Chase had said out his name the first time realizing it was him. "He escaped the prison with us, but later he left us for...reasons, He's not exactly the friendly type though" Chase recalled in front of the two cats.
"Oh, Dash was your name, Right. If its okay by you, You could come inside and-" Dixon offered to the Ridgeback a helping paw, however Dash snapped his jaws at the cat. Leaping at him before being tugged back down by the trap that claimed his paw. "NEVER!" He shouted.
"I'll never take help from a cat, I dont need your pity. And I'll never take help from you three either" Dash turned his head to face the dogs he knew that had helped him previously. "The only thing equally disgusting as a cat, is a dog that cozies up to one" He finished, spitting in their direction as he turned away from them, walking away as far as the trap let him.
"But you got help from Tuska when you were trapped in that muzzle" Rubble pointed out, Which was indeed true, not mention the time Dash had saved Tuska from falling down off the stairwell and into a blaze of fire. "I only did that because he was the only one at the time that could free me, If he was here, I'd tear his tail off" Dash proclaimed proudly, turning his head and refusing to look at any of them.
Dixon and Dixie had moved in close to their canine friends, sitting by them as the five watch the Ridgeback sit in silence facing away into the pitch black distance of the night. "What do we do with him?" Dixie asked.
"Let him go I suppose, Its not like he'd be willing to stay, let alone help us like they do" Dixon replied, of course if they were to convince Dash to stay, but the infinite help of God somehow, He wouldnt lift a paw around like Chase, Rocky, and Rubble do, for the sake of helping cats.
"I think hes too dangerous to keep around, He hates cats just because they're cats. Im with Dixon, We let him go" Rocky insisted. It did seem like the sensible option, realistically there was nothing they could do for the Ridgeback, or at least nothing the Ridgeback would let them do. The others nodded their heads to the idea before they agreed.
Chase took it upon himself to do the most dangerous job, getting in close to free Dash. The German shepherd slowly walked toward the Ridgeback from behind, it wasnt as if he was intentionally trying to sneak up on him, but he knew walking in boldly and loud was the best was to antagonize him into a fight. "What do you want, Lap dog" Dash growled from under his breath.
Chase huffed, not wanting to engage in a conversation with him, fearing that no matter what he would say would just feed him anger even more. Chase kept quiet only, walking up to his paw and pressing back on a small lever that was underneath the clamp that his paw was stuck in. Suddenly, the trap sprung back open, freeing Dash. Chase saw there was a small painful mark where the clamp was, the fact Dash moved around constantly and in a lengthy amount of time, it was to hurt.
He was in fact correct on his suspicion, as Dash instead of running as fast as he could to get away from the group, he limped away without looking back. "I-Is he okay?" Rubble asked, noticing his severe limp. "His paw looked badly hurt from the trap, He needs help, even though he wont admit it"
"As violent as he seems, I dont think it would be safe for him to wander around. He'd be fresh meat for any coyote that would just so happen to stumble across his path" Dixon stated, Dash was a fast runner, but with one hurt paw it was unlikely he could out run or even out fight a wild coyote if he came across one. "You're hurt!" Dixie shouted to the Ridgeback that continued to walk away.
"Im fine!" He shouted back, which was an obvious lie in attempt to not engage with her anymore, however Dixie was stubborn. "No you're not, There's Coyotes around the area, you wont stand a chance if one found you" The others stood still and their breathe stiffened, It was unthinkable to let this dog stay in with them now that they knew Dash as a dog who tested felines with every part of his being.
Chase stood by Dixie as he looked over Dash, scanning his every motion for any sign as if he were to not only refuse, but snap at the female feline that offered to help. Dash huffed hot air as he looked at the feline he towered over. "I am not as weak as you cat, I can take care of myself" Dash spat out harshly.
"Fine, be like that. When my brother and I find your half eaten corpse laying somewhere on this property, I wont lose on ounce of sleep. You can keep being a little puffed up kitten and get torn to shreds, or you can suck it up and let us give you some help" Chase was taken a back by Dixie's vent at the Ridgeback. The German Shepherd stood still as he looked back and forth at her and Dash. He was fully expecting him to pounce on the cat and revenge for that bad talk he had been on the other end of, no way he'd give in willing after being compared to a kitten.
However, Dash didnt reply, he looked angrier for sure. However he was still hurt, and he had to debate whether being prideful over his status as a dog was really the best option. The Ridgeback looked back at Dixon, Rubble, and Rocky and the Homestead itself. "I'm not staying in a house run by cats" Dash muttered. "Fine by me, You can sleep in the barn" Dixie finished, turning her head over to a large structure that stood on the property, The barn's bright red colour and large from doors were too obvious for anyone to ignore. "Dont harass any of the animals please" Dixie spoke as she began to walk away, Her tail flashed side to side as she walked back to her brother and the other dogs. Chase was left standing there with Dash, Both looked at each other with a less than friendly glance.
Dash had meant what he said before about dogs cozying up to cats and it would take quite a while for him to change on that, if he would ever. Nevertheless the two dogs didnt say anything to each other, Dash only turned away and began his walk to the barn for sleep. Chase walked back to his friends that sat there at the back of the homestead still, every now and then looking back at Dash to see if he really was planning on complying and staying in the barn. So far, he was.
"Wow" was all that Rocky said, only one word to reflect on what everyone else was thinking. It was true they had only met the feline siblings for a day, but seeing such a nice cat turn to someone who can throw insults like no one ever could was a flash reality check. "I know right, Shes just like mom" Dixon commented, right as on queue, Dixie smacked her paw right over her brother's head in the classic sibling way. "Ouch, that was a compliment" He tried to defend.
"No it wasnt, anyways, I'll look on him first thing in the morning. My fur is going to turn grey if this day keeps stressing me out" She said out loud, rubbing her head with her paws to try and ease the head pain that suddenly started to bother her. All of them headed back inside to get some shut eye, they all needed sleep, for tomorrow was sure to bring more problems and fewer solutions.
Crickets made their creaking sounds along the riverbank, in the tall grass and in the forest that the encampment lay next to. Coming in from the forest, was Skye, Zuma, Lily, and Maxwell. Maxwell still being looked at carefully as he was boxed in by the two dogs, keeping a close eye on him just in case he decided now would be a good time to run off to get away. He seemed agile alone, He could run a good distance and maybe even escape if he ran back through the forest into some brush to hide. However, it wasnt his intention.
He kept up calmly with the others, making eye contact with them every now and then but breaking off when either one would get a hostile feeling. They walked through the middle of the camp where some candles were lit and contained fires brewed, giving an orange glow to part of the camp, like small makeshift tents. Inside some of the tents and huts were dogs and cats, however mostly dogs. Most were asleep or close to sleep, but at the bonfire there was the typical gathering of felines and canines together. Among them was Klaus, Tuska, Ell and much more, including Ryder and Jello with his reunited family. His son tucked by his side almost ready to fall asleep with his spouse, still unease by the sight of so many dogs around her, beginning to accept it. When the group got close enough, they were met with smiles, however their smiles turned to shocked faces when they saw the judge.
"I-I dont believe it, Y-You got Maxwell, You captured the head judge himself" Everyone else who knew how significant Maxwell was to Griffin's Inner circle also shared in the same feeling. "Quite surprising" Maple said, stone faced as always.
"Contrary to what you may think, I came willingly. I shall let the one with the badge do the explaining" Maxwell insisted, nudging himself against Lily for her to explain why he would come willingly, mainly him wanting an alternative to what he would get in prison for helping Griffin in his Cat Supremacy plans. "Maxwell has agreed to hand over evidence pertaining to my investigation and the FBI's future prosecution, in return, well, he goes through the legal process" She stated, already getting uncomfortable.
"What does that mean?" Ell asked, she followed quite clearly as to what Lily meant, however she wanted it to mean something else rather than what she was already thinking about. "It means, He might, emphasizing the word might, walk free depending on what the DOJ thinks" All of them gasped, as Maxwell displayed a smug smile, knowing he was untouchable at this point.
"This is crazy, This is unthinkable. You may not have been here for as long as you should have, but if you were, you would see how idiotic that is. Hes sentenced innocent dogs and cats, hard labour and basically to death" Klaus exclaimed, everyone else was taken back as to how the feline leader felt toward this, considering to be the most mellow of the entire camp.
"The trials itself would be rigged too, I've seen it happen and heard deputies I work with talk about it. Falsifying evidence, Intimidating the jury, Not allowing certain witnesses to testify. Every judge was biased, and I'm willing to bet Maxwell knew all about it and let it happen" Tuska said, bringing in his own past experience from being apart of the Sheriff's Department once.
"Those who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones Tuska, After all, you once wore the same badge that oppressed us dogs" Ell commented, the hostile tone in her voice growled and spat fierce words as Marshall nudged Ell to her side, letting her know to stop. "Ell, Please, Don't start this again" He begged of her.
"Shes...partly right, but I thought about dogs different back then, and I'm trying to fix it like everyone else here" Tuska tried to explain himself, letting everyone know he wasnt on the same playing field as Maxwell, they werent the same cat with the same views anymore.
"Tuska is right, He did help Chase, Rocky, and Rubble escape after all" Ryder pointed out, Tuska felt a bit more welcoming being reminded of how he helped the dogs escape the Concrete Kennel. "You see Tuska, No matter how much you please the dog, They'll just turn on you."
"Shut your mouth, I aced my forensics training back when I first joined the Bureau, so I could kill you, leave no evidence, and let the maggots have their last dinner on your corpse" Lily threatened, trying to strike fear into the feline, however he didnt budge. "You dont scare me anymore, because until Im out of here, You cant hurt me"
"She cant, but we can" Marshall bared his teeth at the cat, a growling threat that most of the others could agree on as if someone where to attack him, he wouldnt stand a chance. "Dont" Lily said, urging the Dalmatian to stand down. "I'll contact the FBI so they can send someone to pick up Maxwell, Jello and his family too" Lily stated, still Maxwell held his firm and confident smirk as he sat down near the bonfire himself, as if he was apart of the group. Other dogs that were around him shifted away from him, knowing he wouldnt hurt them, but just being next to a person so hateful and evil would make anyone's stomach twist.
Skye and Zuma were just about to sit by their friends after a long day before suddenly they were nudged by their sides, it was Lily who wanted their attention. "I want to talk to both of you" She stated, walking away from the group around the bonfire, Skye and Zuma looked at each other before reluctantly following the feline. It was difficult to estimate what she wanted to discuss away from the others, but they had an idea but the tone she had in her voice, knowing it more than likely wasnt going to be in good nature.
Lily led both dogs away to a secluded area just near the river, Where she met their eyes before her body tensed up with bottled up rage. "Whats up?" Zuma asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Whats up, Whats up?!" Lily raised her voice in a contained spite of rage as both dogs flopped their ears down as if there were pups that had been caught by their parents doing something wrong. "This is about us following you, isnt it?" Zuma asked.
"What you did was irresponsible, reckless, unprofessional, hasty, mindless, and above all absolutely idiotic" Lily really had a mother like tone, how she really didnt hold much back when it came to speaking her mind to the two. Sure Skye and Zuma were in the right mind when fearing for Lily's safety, but it was a huge breach in trust between the two. "But..." Lily sighed as her tone shifted from furious to more rational, seeing both the dog's heads lift up in curiosity.
"You did save me when I was covered, and I have to admit. If you werent there, I would have had a lot more things to worry about. So, Thank you" The cockapoo and Labrador were shocked, hearing such kind words in a nice tone come from the cat who was all work and no play most of the time. "Catch some shut eye both of you, I'll have the FBI come and fetch Maxwell around sunrise, after all that is settled, I suppose its about due time you finally link up with your friends"