Fantastic Foxes of Zootopia: Series 3

by J Shute

Somehow, Sly Cooper returned. -Right into a Zootopia still reeling from Padriach Rattigan's actions. But once he, Nick, Judy and their various allies have put out the fires of chaos, justice is due. That and making sure the rat fails in his plans to bring back and try to harness a terrible power the raccoon is all too familiar with. Maybe even more so than he's letting on.

22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

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AN: Apologies for the slight delay. Enjoy this bumper chapter instead.

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The officers threw out a few jeers as a group of snarling bears were frogmarched back up the steps and into the lobby, the white mammals staring at the burnt out remains of the diggers that had broken them out of the place and then at the officers who'd wrangled them back in, growling and cursing them.

Nick didn't watch them as they were taken in, instead just staring at the floor, his foot claws working themselves back and forth, back and forth, slowly scratching lines into the hard tiles.

"-You sure that's one of them?" He looked up to see Judy walking up to a few officers who were hauling in a tranquilised polar bear, dusted up black suit and pants on him. "Might have just been in the wrong place, wrong…"

The hippo correctional officer holding up his feet placed them down before reaching up, pulling his trouser down and pointing out the plain white Y-fronts, working them around to show the small printed in 'Property of ZPD Precinct 1' stamp on the back.

The bunny nodded. "That works."

Francine, who'd been carrying the bear's arms, reached down with her trunk. "Also, he was sticked with this." Judy's eyes widened as she saw the tranq arrow drop down and rattle on the floor in front of her. "Now what do you make of that?."

Her foot drummed on the floor a little before she shrugged. "There are those on the other side who don't like us, but hate Rattigan even more."

The hippo nodded. "You mean like that urban legend that idiot DA thought the owner of ZNN larped as?" He snorted, looking in and shaking the bear's head a little. "Come on, we gave you the anti-agent, wake up already."

"Hang on." Francine let him go, walked over to a nearby water fountain and let it squirt out, the small jet flowing up and down into her trunk. As she did so, the hippo carried on talking to the comatose bear.

"-You know, I'd have preferred it if you really did run into that mean S-O-B out there. She napalms the likes of you, wasn't that the myth?"

"Nah," Francine said, voice squeaky as she carried water in his trunk. "It was that they paralyzed you and sprayed you with slow burning fire. You didn't feel pain, but you were consciously aware as you were cremated alive, the dull flickering ache of your nerve ends flamed out of existence, as your fur turned to ash and your skin blackened and peeled, your very body evaporating off… Only to then have the world turn black as it hit and melted your eyes, your last conscious thoughts being the vanishing off of more and more of you and the horrific inevitability of your oncoming demise crashing down on you."

"Well, maybe not that mean S-O-B," the hippo scoffed. "Maybe a cheap imitator who couldn't afford the tranq and just used backyard napalm."

"Mammals," Judy said, walking forward. "Really?"

"-What?" the hippo defended. "-Okay, it is a girl. D-O-B then."

Judy froze on instinct, turning to Nick and expecting him to say '14th of April 1984' only to get nothing back, the fox still staring off listlessly. A second or so later the sound of spraying water rang out, Francine unloading her trunk on the polar bear, waking him up in a mix of coughs and splutters.

"-Pa-ha-a-Ah!-AH!-NONONONONO! DO NOT BURN ME! DO NOT BURN ME!"

The mammals stepped back in shock as the bear began to writhe, panic, the two megafauna mammals who'd pulled him in marching up again but keeping a safe distance away. Judy, paw reaching down to hover over her lethal flanked around, pausing as she saw Nick there next to her.

The bear kept writhing, screaming, only for it to fade, the predator looking around and registering where he was, who was around him. "Please," he begged. "I will be good, I will go back in cell, just keep me safe. Do not let her get to me, do not let her do what she does to terrible mammals. -Not that I am one, but…"

He kept rambling, the two megafauna telling him to calm down, to come with him, guiding him up and then back along. Both of them with shocked looks on their faces.

Judy just shook her head at the sight, working her paw over her face before glancing up at Nick, his face tense. "Well, I suppose you have some fellow believers now."

He just nodded slowly. "Right, right…"

"Uh-hu," Judy agreed, looking forward and scanning the area before walking back and reaching out, holding his paw tight. She gazed up into him as he glanced down, then away. Their silence hung for a second or two. "-I know it won't help much…"

"It won't," he sighed.

"But they may not have been targeting them."

It sounded out impotently, the bunny quickly following it up. "-And even if they were, that place is well defended, there were still mammals there, and we sent the best mammal available in as a reinforcement. They had the best chance, even if it was them."

Nick took a long breath in, then out. "It was."

The bunny knew better than to try and convince him otherwise. She just stood there, by him, the pair moving in to assist some of the other officers with some of the cleaning up and reprocessing. The fires had been quelled, the prison cells locked off from the breached yards, the tally taken.

Their two most stubborn witnesses, their two technically most valuable witnesses, had slipped the net and were seemingly uncounted for as of yet. Of course they would be, the goat had been in his own cell in his own wing, it had taken additional effort to break him out and thus more would be given to getting him away. -All it took was a car parked nearby, waiting for them.

As if knowing her train of thought Nick broke the silence as a guard walked past. "Can we have a look around Mrs Krovstoits cell?"

Judy glanced to him, giving an affirmative nod as the guard nodded. "Everything's locked down enough, I… -I'm in the male wing so I'll have to ask to see if we can find out where she was, I…"

"Officers…"

The trio looked over to see Inspector Carmelita marching up, Clawhauser in tow. The cheetah was already setting himself back up at his desk, taking over the vixen's computer to act as his communication hub. She looked over to Nick, bottom lip pulling back under her teeth and ears and tail drooping down.

The fox just took a deep breath in, eyes closed, and nodded, Judy walking up to him to try and hold him tight.

"He was…" the vixen continued. "Too late. He saw them go out in vans that pulled into nearby caverns. They detonated them to stop them being followed…"

"-And chances are those vans will still be there, the Fox family whisked off on cargo drones to wherever they're based," Nick followed on.

Carmelita nodded. "-They hit the Zootopia Youth Penitentiary first, enough time to draw off T-U-S-K forces before they hit the main and backup command and control sites. Then, having drawn off the ZFD nearby they hit us and the Nocturnal District. Though Precinct Eight had none of the previous rioters, they… They…" She grimaced.

"Nighthowler?" Judy asked, receiving a nod.

"While they dealt with that and the fires, Rattigan hit the protected witness compound with a phosphorus flare and then attacked what was left, hard. Multiple guards dead, though none of the family."

"Right," he snarled, looking at her. "Do you have a direct line to your raccoon?"

"I…" She paused, walking off to Clawhauser. "-He and I use different communicators, and though his teckie has my number, the system isn't the same. It might be a case of Chinese whispers, but…" She leant in, firing off a quick message as she walked back. Nick nodded, turning to the guard and passing him his phone. "You guys know how to turn things over better than I do, just take lots of pictures. -Before and after."

The phone was thrust into his paws before he had a chance to say anything, Nick turning off and marching off and up, fast, Judy following. "Okay," she said, "plan?"

"Plan," Nick agreed, reaching the steps and taking them two at a time. He reached the top of the first flight and, grabbing the railing, swung himself around.

"-Which is?" Carmelita asked.

"What we were doing before," the fox said. "Only with new information."

It didn't take him long to barge in through the doors, back into the room he and the others had been in before. He cut straight past Basil and Dave, pointing towards the lower down maps of the Nocturnal District. "-As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, we look through the records. The witness compound was here," he said, gesturing to an area at the main lake level. He then pointed to it and a few other maps. "Meaning they have accessed these caves, these caves, which can only go so far, there can only be so many places they connect to that are well built enough, connected enough, for Rattigan to use them for what he needs. It could be this way, it could be that, it could be up an old shaft to the surface, or…" He slammed his paw on the glass, turning to Carmelita. "-We just need Sly to come back in and feed us every little bit of detail he knows."

The vixen nodded, pausing as she held up an in-paw communicator. "Bentley says he can patch across Sly in a few minutes, but it may take longer for him to be ready. He's stuck running triage on those left down in the aftermath."

"Right, I…" The fox paused as he saw Basil and Dave standing there. "Okay, sit-rep…"

"I can infer what happened," Basil said, nodding along.

Judy stepped up. "We might also be able to recover some of those excavator controls from the diggers, check with what Oates found, see if they're the same."

Basil nodded along. "Which means we could bust an old rhino at least, bring him in…"

"-Keep rearranging the deck-chairs," Nick followed on. "Mighty tricky though, the deck is getting quite steep and oh my is that a crack in the middle forming? -They have the fox family. Which means that right now they might be getting Dr Silverfox to finally start assisting them, all as Rattigan is returning. -We don't have time to wait, get in these controls, bring in an old rhino who probably just did a favour and knows nothing, or from our luck will just be a tight lipped non-traitor given that his side is so very close to winning… -We need something! Do you have something?"

"We're still waiting on that report back from the University, though given…"

"-I can go there in person and expedite it," Judy said, walking up and in front of Nick, the fox's anger cooling off slightly. The bunny stepped forward, taking a paw, holding it tight. "You two, is there anything you can…"

"-The fact that we're unable to really assist in the wrangling of our escapees is why we returned back here after the fire issue was solved," Dave said. "But yes, if there is anything…"

"I'll take some pictures of the vehicles and send them your way, maybe even get a zoom in on the controls," Judy said. "Then, if you can't phone and push the University to send their analysis over, I'll force it in person. We also have a guard checking over Melissa Krovstoits cell, I'll tell Clawhauser to tell the guard to forward it here."

"Melissa?" Basil began, the bunny filling it in for him. He nodded along, eyes widening. "I'll pick up the security footage. I'm certain that Rattigan will have used his bat lackey for all this, and we may be able to trace along, I don't know, I…"

They were cut off as Carmelita's phone rang, the vixen pulling it up. "Sly!?"

"Hearing you loud and not dead," he said, whatever chippy put on he was doing a thin veneer over the grim undertone.

"I'm with the detectives, we work together and pin-point where they entered the cave system," Carmelita said, reaching over to the map. Sly nodded.

"Also, Bentley says that my Binocucom has an encrypted video store that should get some pictures, it just needs some IT stuff to get it over."

"Right," Carmelita agreed, turning to the other ZPD officers. "Judy, phone the university then go there if needs be. Nick…" The red fox snapped up to her, breath bated. "You check out the diggers."

"-With a blacklight," Dave cut in.

"With a blacklight," the vixen followed.

Nick turned and raced off before anyone could say anything. In a second or two so did Judy, going over to Dave to ask about the contact details. Carmelita went over to Basil to pick him up, the two going over to the map to start plotting with Sly's input. It didn't take long for them to all be at work.

Stepping in Bogo began speaking only to pause as he saw them. "-Oates is still helping with the prison situation," he informed. "Need him or anything else?"

"We'll call you," Basil said, immediately turning back to his work.

The Chief nodded, retreating out.

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Claws tapped over a keyboard as burning amber eyes glanced through the pictures being relayed. The mammal had to admit it, those jerkwads were good… Even if he wanted to punch them for what they were doing. That family had been through enough. That platinum fox kit had been through enough.

He relayed the images over, pausing as one of his screens flickered to life, one then two wolf faces appearing. The first, more familiar to him, white and old, gentle but with a firm hardness behind her. One she knew would only increase as she learnt what had happened. The other, brown and white, domino mask covering her eyes and firm lines on her face from her ongoing work.

"I see you're at the coal face today," Lang said, looking over.

"It's what I can do, for now," Murana nodded.

The lone vulpine viewing them nodded, pausing. "Max tagging along?"

"-He was busy on a date."

"With the giraffe?"

"I would be surprised if it wasn't a giraffe Conor. Either way, I believe they're okay, for now," the wolfess rattled off. "If that is your concern."

"One of many," the silverfox at the keyboard said. "They…" He breathed out, teeth gritting. "They have them."

The link went quiet.

"-Sly went down to try and intercept, he was too late, only recorded the following photographs and videos, I'm sending them over now." He began typing, the battle clad wolfess' eyes widening.

"You hacked the Cooper clan!?"

Lady Lang paused before smiling. "Oh my, he did. I'm so proud of you…"

"-How did you hack the Cooper clan," Murana cut in again, pausing as a slight smile grew across her face. "After all, were this situation to be present I'm certain they would know, and either permit it as they see you as no threat or see it as advantageous for us to think we have the advantage."

"Are we a threat?" Lang asked, smirk on her muzzle.

"For now, no."

"-To, answer, your, question," the silverfox said, in rhythm with his pads as they pressed down on his keys. "When I installed a new USB port on Sly's Binocucom to allow him to recharge it, I installed other stuff. Simple spare phone transmitter with a SIM card."

They nodded, Lady Lang smiling. "Any highlights from the escape up in the Palm?"

"You were there, weren't you," Murana said.

"As an impartial observer on a very boring diplomatic conference," the white wolf waved off. "Don't get all Dark Flame Wolfy on me. -Besides, that little stunt that raccoon pulled was the most fun I'd had in years. -That and the reaction from Don Peccarri." She gave a chortle, Murana sharing a smile.

"Now that is something I'd like to see."

"-Bad news then," Conor said, sending the images across. "Only records what it sees. So, plenty of looking down a raccoon's leg and not much else."

"In any case," Murana said. "I don't think it would be wise to be insulting potential allies, however odious they are, at a moment like this."

"Fortunately," Lang said, typing a few things of her own. "He's not the one we need."

With a fizz a fourth figure appeared on the screen, a very irritated tired looking one eyed vampire bat. "And who would interrupt the Lord of the Nocturnal District from his ministrations?"

Lang seemed unphased. "Finished re-tuning that organ Vlad?"

"I would have," he hissed, looking over and pausing, smiling. "Ah, it seems the legends of you two being one and the same are not, in fact, accurate as many believe."

"No," The Dark Flame Wolf said. "And you are keeping above board."

"As much as we do in our business," he said, looking over to Lady Lang. "For those of us without the luxury of being able to leave it behind."

The white wolf smiled. "It's working up the will that's the hard part. Once you start it gets surprisingly easy."

"And yet here you two are, a kit in tow, consulting me. On what business?"

The Dark Flame Wolf cut straight to the chase. "I am surprised you have not seen the news, or questioned why I am out and active again."

The bat nodded. "I have heard of the various breakouts on the surface, and…"

"And in your own District?" Lady Lang asked.

"-The Nocturnal Precinct was attacked, howlered, officers and inmates going savage, still fighting as we speak," the Dark Flame Wolf said.

The bat nodded. "So I heard, though I am fortunate to not have any real assets in that place. -And for as much as I despise Rattigan, I am not one to step in when my enemies are spilling their own blood in their own feud."

"That, even the main breakouts, were a distraction," Lady Lang said, bringing up the images and videos. "Rattigan wanted to break out a family in witness protection, to use as leverage against an academic and force him to work for him."

Conor spoke up. "They were hunting for something down in your part of the world. Ancient Zapotec ruins or… -I don't know the details, all I know is they're trying to bring back this."

Clicking on, an audio file began to play, the faces of those who knew what was inside fading back with concern. The vampire bat lord of the nocturnal mob just questioned what this was, getting filled in that it was the last known recording of the former air pirate 'Don Karnage', his ship lost in the Russian Far East around two decades before.

The bat just listened on, the pink in his ears going pale as it came to the end.

A silence filled the room after, The Dark Flame Wolf finally speaking. "The ZPD are doing the best they can with the assets they have. None other than Sly Cooper dived into the Nocturnal District to try and rescue them, parasailing down. He was too late, but he did record where they went. Into a series of caves, blasting the entrances behind them and potentially flying off on cargo drones after that.

The various details were sent off, a long wait hanging in the air.

"I will redeploy my scouts to scan the caves, then monitor as many of the unknown and hidden entrances and exits as possible." His scowl deepened. "For all he and his wife insulted my culture before, for all they have done, I must confess." His teeth bared in a grin. "The prospect of draining him dry does fill me with a certain… Righteous exhilaration."

The Dark Flame Wolf wrinkled her nose.

"Do not judge me Murana Wolford," he said, smirking as he saw her blank expression. "After all, it is not like you get sustenance from what you do." He pulled up a wine bottle full of thick crimson liquid and took a satisfying sip.

"

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The serval kept her eyes lingering on the yellow signs on the wall, her gaze holding there before glancing around, looking on at everything else. The old pipework, the bundles of wire, the long lines of yellowed old vinyl on the floor and old, old paint on the walls. If she'd been thrilled by the drone rides they'd taken through the mazes of caves before, now she was chilled down as she clocked just where they were. "Remarkable," she said, turning to the Pallas cat. "One of my children, before they were brainwashed by vulpine propaganda, did a report on this site. I helped them." She paused. "How do you even have use of it? Surely there's maintenance mammals, those from the Climate Works, those…"

Felicity smiled. "My dear, a little hacking here, a little opportunistic operation there. -With a dead weight like this place, it's very easy once everyone thinks it's someone else's problem."

Sarah nodded. "And the odd urban explorer, bats…"

"The whole facility was designed to be airtight," the Pallas cat waved off. "We have motion detectors, mammals in security guard outfits." -She neglected to mention the odd one or two who'd be caught anyhow, and become the most delightful test subjects or culinary treats, but that was not in her interest to share with her eager little assistant.

-Yet.

"You know," the spotted cat carried on, eyes narrowing. "That's the problem with society. Somebody else's problem, just dishing it off to others, just seeing someone else 'take care of it' and being happy, not looking deeper, just being happy to sit back in your blissful ignorance and convenience." She worked around her jaws a little, eyes lingering over her bullet wound before looking down. "All while seeing those who do make it their problem, who see what's wrong and call it out, and shunning them." She shook her head. "Evil, crazy, idiot, that's what they called me. No rational debate, no respect, because at the end of the day, they knew I was a threat to their little lives. Whether they know about the conspiracy and neo-predators and all these foxes playing both sides and taking double before laughing all the way to the bank at how much smarter they are or not… -Don't rock the boat, don't pop this little bubble that keeps you insulated and safe and happy. -It's all someone else's problem, not ours. So behave yourself, or else."

"First they laugh at you," Felicity said, walking over and holding the paw of the bigger cat. She looked over at the bandaged graze from the bullet wound she'd received. "Then they attack you. And then they cower in fear and pull every last cowardly or arrogant trick. And then you win. Because we're the good guys."

"They don't want us to think that."

"That's why they set the traps," the pallas cat purred. "Trying to use our empathy, or those of others, as shields. -Getting kits in early, raising them as monsters, so we feel like the bad guys as we fight them."

"I wasn't even allowed to call him out for his crimes against Predator kind," the serval growled. "Not without that stupid hoodwinked otter on steroids getting in my way, defending him, I…"

"They actively try and stop the spread of information. -You know, the thing that is common to all bad guys in all of history. And they then go around acting all…"

"-I know," Sarah said, paws up only to flinch, going down and hissing at the cut.

The pallas cat looked on sympathetically. "There there, don't worry. We'll patch it up. We can get you rested, get painkillers, I…"

"-Nothing that will get in the way of the good work I need to do here."

Felicity smiled, standing up and nodding. "Of course, of course. Do you wish to get even with the one who did that to…"

"She certainly deserves to pay," the serval said, looking off ahead, down a long yellow lit corridor. "They all do. But there's only one that deserves to pay the most."

"Very well," the pallas cat mentioned. "Right now, we need co-operation from his father. However, a good threat is always a great motivator. -I have just the gear and set up for you to give him the kick up your tail we need, are you willing to…"

"-I am ready for anything," the serval said, standing up, claws clicking as she stood to attention, paw in salute.

"Excellent soldier. Get dressed, and let's get ready!"

Felicity waved the serval on, hiding her smile until she'd gone around the corner. Oh, this was just too easy, and way too fun!

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"Wakey wakey!"

Dr Silverfox stirred from his sleep, only to be yanked onto his feet and frogmarched along, paws getting cuffed behind him. He scowled at the pallas cat before looking up at the two much larger felines around him. -Battle scarred, certainly.

A pit began to grow in his stomach as he was let out, past the former captive comrades and down the various corridors. Eyes ahead, breath steady, if what he dreaded had happened had happened…

The needs of the many…

The needs of the few.

Time. That was all the ZPD needed, have faith, give them time, just…

Turning a corner they opened a door, familiar warm scents hitting his nose and flooding down his spinal cord like ice water. The lights flickered on and there they were. Mr Fox, Mrs Fox, Ash, Rowan… All bar the helpless kit drowsy, struggling back up, locked away in a set of makeshift cells.

"W…William…"

His eyes lingered on his sister-in-law as he looked down. "I'm sorry, I…"

"Stay strong… Stay…"

"-And enough of that," the pallas cat waved off, turning off the cell lights and walking back out, smiling. She looked up at the captive academic, a massive grin on her face. "C'mon, don't deny it. You're impressed, you're impressed, aren't ya!" She cracked a smirk and a wink, paw resting on her hip.

He kept silent, his eyes boring into her and his teeth gritting tight.

"Oh, you're also angry of course," she waved off, walking on. "I mean, we gave you plenty of chances. But here we are. -I mean, mammals are already dead because of you. Just a little help, that's all we asked, but nooooooo…" She shook her head, tutting. Leaning forward, thick furred paw pressing up into his own chest floof, claws gliding up before pulling down, pricking and hitching him over his heart. "Such a selfish little foxy."

"I don't think they'd have had it much better would you have gotten your way," he growled, glancing off.

"And there you go, making their decisions for them. Naughty Foxy."

He refused to answer. After a few seconds the pallas cat shook her head and gestured for him to be led forward once more. "C'mon."

He kept his silence.

"I don't want to do anything drastic to them…"

"-Liar."

She gave a chuckle. "You don't want to give me the excuse to do anything drastic to them."

"If you get what you wish, you won't need one."

"You're just making things hard on yourself," she said in a sing-song voice as they reached a closed door. He halted himself at its edge. "Open it."

He stood there,

"I said open it," she said, smile slowly fading as she raised an eyebrow. "You do know what's in there, right?"

Nothing came from his lips.

"-I mean of course you do!" she smiled, crossing her paws. "The big thing missing from back there, your own little kit, the one who dragged all of you into this mess in the first place. -I assure you nothing has happened to him, yet."

…

"Of course," she said, leaning up and pushing her head up against his side. "You know that he is your one weakness. That's why you don't want to go in. Like a former alcoholic outside a liquor store, or former smoker outside a tobacconist, or an ex-druggie amidst the dealers and pushers. You know that it's best to not even entertain it. Not let it worm its way into your heart. Not to give yourself a chance to even think to fall.

He stood there, silent.

"Very well then," she said, gesturing at him to step back. "You won't get to see him. Yet." Her smile grew. "Take him to the special room," she purred, as he was lifted off his feet. "Let him see the little treatments I have planned."

With a shock her goons grabbed him by his shoulders and lifted him off, even as he began to writhe, kick, bend his neck to try and bite them. He would not give her her show! It didn't matter though as they gripped him tight and brought him through, the adult fox bracing himself only to pause as he saw not his son or racks of torture implements but rather a set of neatly folded clothes and a fur brush.

The moment of relaxation was enough for his captors to place him down, lock him in and start tearing off the stinking rags he was clothed in. "What the…" he began, only to turn and see a shower attachment to an old sink spurt to life. He didn't have time to ask whether it was warm or not before he was sprayed with the freezing jet, the fox hissing and bracing himself, heart beating faster. -For a moment a flashback, plunging through ice and into the cold below, the rattle of it digging into his lungs, what space there was caving in and closing off… His body crumbling back over on top.

He pushed through, just in time to see a bottle of fur shampoo thrust into him. He popped the cap and worked himself over as much he could, just in time for the water to gain a bare luke-warmness. The sink was attached to an ancient looking mini-water heater, plastic covering faded into a sickly yellow and likely barely keeping up with the throughput. Either way, he cleaned himself off, weeks of accumulated dust and debris and stray fur pooling off of him, the muck floating into a rusted drain cover.

The water off, the two brought out a pair of paw held fur driers and began blasting him, hot air flowing over him. A fur brush thrown his way, he got the message and began combing himself down, only to start to wonder why when the job was done. "Should I be scared that she wants me looking presentable?" he asked.

He wasn't sure why. The more he thought about it, the less it made sense. If she wanted to terrify his son, showing him ragged, mistreated, grimy from his captivity made the most sense. But like this? Presentable? "Are you trying some kind of reverse psychology here?"

"Put the suit on, and you shall find out," one said.

William looked at it and begrudgingly, slowly, placed it on. Great care taken on threading each and every individual button through each of their counterpart holes. Slowly putting on and smoothing out the layers. Letting the outer suit glide up onto him, working along the collar. Finally, looking all prim and proper, he turned up to his captors. "And now?"

"You look ready for your son's day in court," the other smiled, William managing a "what?" before he was led through and in, his eyes widening. A courtroom was laid out in front of him. Not much in the way of public seating, but the various stands and judges pulpit were all there. He was guided to the defense table, struggling slightly before his feet were cabletied to the fixed table.

The pair left, the fox left alone, confused, before his ears picked up a squeaking sound. His eyes widened with horror. "KRIS!?"

"Dad…" Came the muffled reply, as his son was wheeled in on a gurney, on display like Hannibal Lechwe, strapped in with a white straight jacket over a bright orange prison uniform. The one difference was the muzzle, not plastic but heavy welded steel.

Dr Silverfox turned, teeth and claws bared, only to stumble and fall to one side as his own restraints kept him feebly anchored in place. It didn't stop him screaming though. "LET HIM OUT! LET MY BOY OUT! HE'S BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH!"

"-Dad…"

"LET HIM OUT AND THEN LET ME OUT SO I CAN…"

"-It's okay, it's okay…"

"TEAR YOUR FACES OFF YOU MONSTERS!"

"-It's okay…"

"AND THEN!" His breath hitched as he had to take a breath in to quench his burning lungs.

"-It's okay Dad…"

"AND THEN… -Then I'll find your bosses and…" He took another breath in.

"It's okay Dad, it's okay…"

"I… Kris?"

"It's okay," his son said softly as he was wheeled up next to him. "I'm okay…"

"No…"

Kris closed his eyes and looked at him, his covered up muzzle managing a smile as he nodded. "Have faith. Don't give them what they want."

"I…" His lips trembled, his realised he was crying. "It's… Are you okay?"

"I must say… I have been better."

"What happened…"

"They attacked us, they… -We tried to get out, I don't remember. Are the others…"

"They're okay," he panted out. "They're all okay."

"Good. We have that, at least."

Dr Silverfox held back. He… -He knew deep down that with these mammals the more loved ones they had under their control, the worse it would be. Anything more than one meant there were those that were disposable. Anything more than none meant there were those they could hurt. He didn't say that. Instead, getting up, leaning sideways with the restraints cutting into his legs and one paw used for balance, he managed to reach out. His son shifted his paw out, as much he could, and stretching…

Stretching…

Paw pad touched paw pad.

Finger wrapped around finger.

It was something.

After so long apart, again, it was something.

Something cut off as, to their surprise, the musical bridge and guitar solo from Ten-Sea-Sea-Lion's Good Morning Judge played out, the lights dimming before a spotlight cast itself on a door to their side. And in came Felicity Pawker, the pallas cat dressed up in a mix between a judges frock and a cabaret suit, strutting in with a cane with a gavel attachment and climbing up into her chair, lording it over them.

"All rise," she said smiling, her gavel-cane flying up like a cheerleaders baton before she caught it once more.

William looked at her, mouth gawking, before a flash of pain whipped at his sides, sending him crashing down onto the floor. He groaned, the tight grip of the plastic biting into his ankles. Slowly he climbed up, standing, glaring at her. "What the…"

"We weaved electrics into your suit," she smiled, gavel pointing out at him. "Thought I might need a way of teaching you mammals respect. Seems I am correct. All rise!"

Managing to curb in his tooth bare he stood himself up, composed.

"And sit," she smiled, looking over. "We are here to judge you, the obstinate and thoroughly unhelpful Dr Silverfox, and your quite infamous son. It's time to Faaacceeee -the music! Are you finally going to take accountability for your lack of actions?"

"I'm still not going to help you," he warned. "None of us ar…"

"-GUILTY!" she sung, banging down her gavel and letting a set of confetti cannons burst out around her. "Thoroughly, unrepentantly, and very expectantly, Guuuuuuiiiiillllllttttttyyyyyy!" She spun around in revelry before looking down once more. "And now, it seems, it is time for the sentencing. The good part. The exciting part, as in this courthouse we believe in karma, even if quite cruel… -And very unusual." She tittered. "I have the divine pleasure of being able to implement many bizarre fantasies and deviancies one can stumble across if you know where to look. -Indeed, in the future, with the power we will claim I look forward to bringing so many of such to those who only imagined them as hypotheticals, darkest fantasies to subject others or themselves to with no consideration for even doing it in the real life, and watching on as they realise that this crushing reality that this is now their life?" She tilted her head back, a moan coming out as she shook herself down.

"Alas, in many respects your son is quite, quite plain. But, with much the history! -Dr Silverfox, your son spent very little time of what he might have behind bars, so I think it's time to make up! Depending on how unhelpful you are, your boy will be getting one of several highlights from his time as Zootopia's most talked about fox. It's time to think about what you least loved about the clink, boy!"

The older fox heard a soft whine from his side, looking over to see his son's ears folding back, a look of terror growing over his face. He was beginning to pant in, straining to control himself, managing one pleading look over at his father.

"And boy, do we have a treat for you today. Bring them in."

Hitting her gavel down, she looked to the side as the speakers began playing a new tune, a generic game show music befitting for a parade of mundane potential prizes. Dr Silverfox wasn't sure what was more shocking, that or the sigh of relief from her son.

"Featuring here, the mammal who started it all. One Beavis 'I got the wrong locker' Chuckman!" Out he walked, confused, scared, turning to Kris and then walking up.

"Hey, this cat just busted me out of jail!"

Kris looked back blankly. "So I figured."

The chipmunk looked around, before looking to the fox's father. "Hey, uh, sorry. It was only a prank bro."

"Not accepted."

"Oh come on…" Beavis whined. "Listen, she says she's going to screw all of us over if you don't help out. -But, if you agree now she'll just make your son my personal slave for life thing, got a whole agreement and everything." He rustled it out and thrusted it in his face. "-I mean, I'll treat you nice enough. You'll just have to be a good slave foxy and…"

"-No," both foxes agreed, the groundhog's face going pale with horror.

"-I, okay, you can just sit and play video games all day or…"

"-No," they repeated.

"-Listen, you're making a mistake, a real mistake here, she's got some not-good stuff planned for all of us and this is the easy way out, hey… -Hey I'm not done, I can go easier on them or…" He kept on pleading as a familiar tiger led him out, Felicity tutting.

"That really was the easiest option."

"I have my dignity," Kris refuted.

"Shame. Anyway, need to look up this thing I heard about called 'permanent dronification' for him now. -You don't want to know. It really is the worst option for all of you that you chose. -That dignity thing, you rate it much too highly." She gazed at her claws. "Still, now time for the actual meat of the deal. You two won't play nice? -Well, I've got more of the sort from where I got him. -And remember, no backsies!"

She slammed her gavel down, waving in the next mammal. "Introducing!" The foxes looked over, Kris' ears wilting slightly. In came the lion, paw to his muzzle as he let out a grim cough, a leash in his paw and a familiar older teenage wolf trotting in stark naked and on all fours behind, a muzzle with a wide squeaky-bone crossbar around his jaws. "-One naughty naughty wolfy who did some very naughty things to some much more dumb-dumb than usual dumb dumb wolf. -Not that he was too far off in that department himself." She looked down, shaking her head, the teen lupine's ears folding back as he whimpered. "-Ah," she said, looking up and shrugging. "But hey, he's just an excitable boy! -Da-daaa-daa-da!" She looked down to Kris. "While not much use on his own, this guy could certainly do with letting loose in the way he likes best. I can imagine it now. You, him, a room, items to keep you secure, etcetera. -What do you say!"

Dr Silverfox was about to speak, but it was his son who voiced himself first. "No. Even if you make it an unfair fight, even if you put a gun to his head, I…"

"Kris…" His father began.

"How bad is what they want to do?"

"It doesn't…"

"Then no," the young fox said. "No. We're not speaking."

"Too bad," the pallas cat said, waving the two off. "Give him some kibble to feed or something, and talk to the vet about fixing him." She watched the canine's eyes widen in shock, his panicked whine cut in by the squeak of the bone and cough of his escort as he was practically dragged out, paws sliding on the floor. She tutted before turning back. "-You know, I think that was a very dumb move. -He's the kind of evil that I despise to call evil. It's stupid evil. He isn't bad because he wants to be, it's because there isn't enough brain matter to even keep up the effort of good. I even had to firmly state that he had to do what I needed him to, else he'd get that certain operation." She giggled. "So, not malicious to you. -Now, this mammal…" She smiled. "This one is, and he has a bone to pick."

She clapped her paws and in came another familiar face. Far more to the both of them. Luke Ruta, the brown hare, dressed fully up like Jeffrey Deerma complete with glasses and fake antlers. And unlike the previous inmate, he fixed his eyes on Kris and smiled. "Neat getup, huh?" He smirked.

Felicity just smiled. "I'll leave you to this, boi?"

"Yeah," he smirked, hopping over, both feet together from his shackles. The chain rattled as he jumped up and onto the desk in front of them, strutting this way and that. He gave a gesture over to the stand and then back. "This was how it was supposed to be!" He stomped his foot. "You… You stinkin' filth. SCUM SCUM SCUM!" Spittle flew from his mouth as he yelled it. "You snitch, you howler peddlin' crybaby warden favourite snitch snitch snitch!"

Kris looked back coldly. "Still digging holes I see."

"You're gonna be mine! I'm gonna give you everything you deserve and more!"

Kris held his breath, tight. "So what you did in the shower wasn't enough?"

"IT WAS NO FAIR! I DESERVED TO BE OUT! NOT YOU! NOT YOU! THEN YOU FRAMED ME UP FOR IT! GAVE ME A WHOLE LOAD MORE YEARS!" He was breathing, panting, smiling. "I'M GONNA TEACH YOU WHO'S BOSS SCUM!" He drummed his paws on his chest and…

"-How about a fight, one on one, see who's the real mammal…"

"CHEATER!" He yelled, turning to the 'judge'. "HE'S TRYING TO CHEAT AGAIN! LOOK AT IT!"

"Oh indeed," the pallas cat smiled. She twirled her cane and brought it down. "Bad foxy." She flicked a switch and Kris grunted in pain, jolting up and around.

This time it was William who was shouting. "YOU FREAK!"

"-WHAT DID YOU CALL ME PELT!" the hare yelled, hopping over, glaring at him, pulling back ready to…

Dr Silverfox slammed his head forward, a crack coming out as skull hit skull, the smaller mammal stumbling back, legs catching on his shackles and sending him toppling over the end of the table and onto the floor.

A dull thud and slight crack echoed out, followed by a muffled groan ringing out.

The tiger walked over. "Still alive, just."

"Shame, he looked tasty," Felicity waved off. "-Not that it's stopped me before." She looked over at the pair. "Ooooh, I can add attempted murder to the list too." She giggled. "Who's the two digging holes for themselves now?"

"Still him…" Kris said. "And whatever you throw at me, I can take."

"Oh," she cooed. "Oh, Ohhhhh… -I was so hoping it'd get this far. And I mean, I hadn't originally planned it like this but things, just, keep, coming together!" She reared up, working herself around before smiling. "You may be able to take whatever I can throw at you. -But can you take what she can?"

She clicked a button and the Star Paws Imperial march began playing, the lights dimming, Dr Silverfox looking to his son and seeing his eyes widen, ears fold back, the fox beginning to quiver. Who would… "-No…"

But in she marched. Her new prison officer uniform, given the Felicity Pawker twist, had the regular light blue short sleeved top, albeit with the standard regalia and badges spiced up with cross straps of cork leather. A tight dark olive green mini skirt replaced the usual trousers of the same colour, straps holding up skin tight plastic stockings sharing their hugh while a utility belt filled with all manner of equipment was fixed on top. They jiggled about, implements for confining, hitting, shocking, and… Dr Silverfox stared up at her, the serval's eyes hidden by jet black shades that nestled in beneath the ludicrously over sized officers cap, the badge placed on it replaced with a sigil of a villainous cartoon fox being bapped over the head with a newspaper.

"Your very own favourite prison officer!" Felicity crowed. "Give it up for the fair, the aware, the very here to scare! SARAH SARRAHSON!" She slammed a lever down, the march tune replaced out with a rendition of 'Bad boys bad boys, what ya gonna do? What ya gonna do when they come for you?'

Kris just held himself there, breathing in and out, eyes closed.

"Look at me," the serval warned, her gum chewing mouth pausing as she turned to the captive young fox, walking up. "I said look at me." Kris opened his eyes, his mouth level, his gaze fixed at her as she cocked a grin. "Well, well, well," she purred, eyes narrowing. "Seems what goes around, comes around. You thought you could escape, yes?"

"I was found innocent."

"Found! Found," she mocked. "Of all the despicable, evil things you knew your family and your elite pred and prey allies were up to, of all the freakish things they've done and all the lives lost. -They just didn't find the one bit of evidence of you and your howler operation. And you think that lets you wave if off Let's you get out, I…"

"I don't even know what you're talking about, not that you…"

He winced as she came up and slapped him hard, his father yelling only to be ignored as she followed up by unhitching a spray bottle from her belt and giving him a go over. He grunted, hissing as he began blinking to try and clear it.

"-What did you just…" Dr Silverfox began, closing his eyes and turning away as she gave him a blast too, the super saline liquid slightly stinging his eyes from where some managed to mist in.

"How dare you. Lying to my bare FACE!" She hissed. "I was there to extradite you. I saw you fire howler rounds at mammals, good mammals, mammals who had to be put down to help save their comrades. You, your cousin, you act all innocent even as you think nothing of breaking the Geneva convention in your day to day lives!"

"-What?" Dr Silverfox asked, as she turned, strutting over.

"They howlered mammals coming in to extradite them. They used chemical weapons to try and gas mammals. -That brave lion is coughing from the chlorine you tried to poison him with. And if you…"

"-Blueberries."

She turned. "What did you just say?"

Kris took a breath in. "Those weren't nighthowlers, they were blueberries coated in a caustic agent, they…" He froze as her paw went down and brought out something…

"Stop," Dr Silverfox said, as he saw it spark on.

"Agree to what was offered," Felicity cooed.

"-I know exactly what I saw," the serval hissed. "-And even if you were telling the truth. One, there's still the gas bomb. And two, it just shows how evil, manipulative, sneaky and untrustworthy your kind are, gaslighting good mammals like that. But no, you howlered them, with ones that the authorities knew you had, because they know you." Her cane sparked on the floor, cracking around. "They need you."

Kris began shaking in his gurney, eyes wide, ears back. His father telling the 'judge' to make her stop.

"And all this time," the serval responded. "You've known that. You've known the place of privilege, honour, your family has amongst them for all their dirty deeds. And you've known they'll bend over backwards to help you, to bail you out, to silence, mock, ridicule those who see you for what you are and get in your way. But here? Now? There's no escape, no rescue, no allies, just you and everything you have coming…"

"I'll do it," Dr Silverfox said.

"Time to face the music…"

"I'LL DO IT!"

Loud celebration music blared out, Felicity leaping up and banging her gavel down hard, even as Dr Silverfox's ears fell back. Even as Kris managed to recover, telling him to take it back.

"You will assist us in our goals?" the pallas cat asked.

Dr Silver paused, looking over to see his son looking at him, shaking his head. "I… I can take her," he managed to say.

"Give me ten minutes," the serval said. "One on one."

"Sounds exciting," the pallas cat purred, looking over. "Any objections?"

The older todd paused just long enough for her to bang the gavel down.

"Now how about twenty," she carried on, "we can…"

"I said I'd do it!" he hissed, looking up at her with hate filled eyes. "So let my son go, and I'll do what you ask of me."

"See?" the 'judge' finally said. "Was that really so hard?"

"-Dad…"

"I'm sorry son. I… Tell the rest of them it'll be okay," he said, not able to meet his eyes.

"-After my session with him," the serval said.

"Of course."

"-WHAT!?" William yelled, standing up. "I agreed to…"

"-After wasting court time," the 'judge' scolded. "After I…" She gave the gavel a bang. "-Now, I can always add more to your boy's sentence. Do you want that, hmmm?"

He held himself there, trembling, tears coming down as he looked over. "I'm sorry, I…"

"I… I can cope," Kris said, looking over. "Just stay safe."

The larger mammals were already coming in, wheeling Kris out as the serval trotted on next to him. William himself had his ties cut and was pulled out, the 'Judge' following him in to a small room. Various tomes printed out. Copies of murals, a large stone with multiple languages printed on it, books ready and waiting.

"That task is simple," she said, "Cross reference these various things, here, here, and here." We already have large chunks of the language in what we know are more decipherable texts. Those in Niedelines, and Krakarov… It's just the odd gap, the odd clarification."

"Can I see…" He grumbled, only to be cut off with an 'Ah-ah-ahhhh…'.

"-Don't think we haven't entertained the notion of you actively sabotaging us," she scolded. "You'll get what you need to decipher the areas of interest and some control texts. We'll be there to cross reference. You'll bring us clarity and confirmation, and any attempted fakes or failures… -We'll find them. And your family will pay the price."

He trembled, paws baring, before he looked down. "Get me a notepad and a coffee…"

The pallas cat clapped her paws. "It shall be done. Now, get hasty, we expect results. Fast."

And off she walked, closing the door behind her and bringing out her phone. It rung a few times before the voice on the other end answered.

"Oh, my despicablist…," Rattigan purred. "That was a fascinating watch. They're still going this way and that about it all… Certainly made it easier for us to slip back in, not long now."

"We even busted of Petey," she smiled. "Nice little bonus."

"I… -I suppose that is! Well, thanks for saving something off my to-do list once I have ascended."

"But," she said. "The main plan has gone on perfectly. Our disagreeable Doctor is now firmly at work."

"Excellent. Excellent, you have done well."

"And I had a great time while doing so," she purred.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," he said. "But we must hurry, they will be panicking like no end now. So we must prepare everything, even if it comes down to the wire, but… -So much time waiting, learning, planning. So many times we nearly lost it. But here? Now? Within a whiskers breath." She heard him shudder. "I am excited, scared, I… -Let's get ready to set a new year zero my dear."

"Yes," she purred, smiling. "Let's."