Hello everyone,

Again, I apologize for such a long break. To quote Jack Sparrow "Complications arose, ensued..."

I wish to express my endless gratitude to my best friend, TheoreticallyEva, for her priceless help with editing and teaching me grammar.

DISCLAIMER: I have added a few scenes after her last edits, so if there are any errors they are all mine. I'm saying this so that nobody would ever question her skills as an editor. If you still want to try... I'll bite you.

Thank you for all your support and encouraging words. Life isn't any easier, but it should get better eventually. Right?

To answer some of the reviews:

Brobordan - I know what you mean. This is the very first story I have ever written. This means it's been a learning process since day one. If I were to do a "remastered" version with what I know now, I'm sure it would look different (and better).

InTheLionsDenOnDA - "divine levels of insight and skill" is a bit debatable. :) Trust me, Volkov isn't godlike or OP, but he has a long history of training, fighting, and survival. He's someone who knows the game and how to stay on top of it, that's the result of his entire life being war and combat.

Again, thank you for all the reviews and criticisms. I wish this story to be as good as possible, so if you ever spot something messy, please don't hesitate to point it out. I'll be grateful and happy to fix it.

As a last tease, let me just say that in the next chapter we will see an infuriated bunny.

Chapter 47

As they sat at the table, Jackie and Judy were constantly under Vasily's watch. The predator did not move from the spot by the door, with one paw resting on the handle of his sword.

The cheetah felt that she would be grateful if he weren't so attached to that blade. Her wounds ached like hell every time she moved. She leaned a bit to the doe, keeping her eyes on the assassin. "Hard to picture Nick among these guys," Jackie whispered to her friend.

"Yeah, it's still a bit difficult to cope with," the bunny replied in the same manner.

"Bah, if only he wasn't such a shut in-" The cheetah paused before blinking and focusing back on Vasily. "Say… Since we're here," she peeked momentarily at the doe, "why not ask the source?"

Judy shot a brief look at their gatekeeper. "You don't mean-"

"I mean, he's giving me the creeps, but if we could learn more… Excuse me!" Jackie raised her voice at the end. She also wanted to raise a paw, but a spike of pain crossed that out.

The mammal narrowed his eyes in response.

"See, I just wondered, if you're currently not trying to slice us to pieces…" The cheetah tried to smile in a friendly manner. "Do you happen to know Nick? Nick Wilde?"

For a moment it seemed that focus vanished from the assassin's eyes. However, right after, they blazed with ice. "Nick?"

"Yeah, red fox, annoying smirk..." Jackie nodded, while Judy anxiously tugged at her sleeve.

"We're his friends."

Vasily stepped forward, his grip tightening on the sword. "Friends with traitor!"

It was an instant. The mammal lunged forward, drawing the blade in a blur.

Judy jumped as well, desperately trying to protect her friend.

"Vasily!"

The assassin halted his arm, quite close to both females.

The bunny was on the table, placing herself between the mixed predator and the wounded cheetah.

Jackie jerked back, wide-eyed and tense. Once again, she was subjected to the sharpened metal far too close for her liking. She dared looking at the assassin, and that's when she raised her brows.

His eyes were slightly widened and gone was the hateful glare. His facial features also readjusted. He looked ashamed.

"I believe that I have told you that they are our guests," Volkov stated in a calm, yet firm voice.

The effect was instantaneous. Vasily swiftly sheathed his sword, spinning around to bow before the wolf. "Apologies!" he exclaimed.

Volkov waved a paw at him dismissively, sitting on a chair at the end of the table, opposite Judy and Jackie. He placed a newspaper on the wooden surface. "I have taught you basic etiquette, including the treatment of guests." He indicated the females before him. "My apologies," the wolf gave them a courteous nod, "I must ask for your forgiveness. This boy has been rude towards you, which makes me most displeased."

Both officers saw how the white predator winced at those words.

Volkov continued, "Discourtesy is unspeakably ugly to me. I hope that this incident won't stain our conversation."

After a second of silence, the females realized that the last sentence was a form of a question.

"No-"

"It's really-"

They both paused before Judy raised an inquiring brow at Jackie, which the cheetah answered with a shrug.

"I guess we're more interested in why we are talking?" Judy directed the question at the wolf.

"A.K.A. 'why we're not dead'?" Jackie supplied.

Volkov settled more comfortably on the chair, putting his paws together. "Of course, I have no doubt that you would be curious. Let us say that the reason lies with the fact that I am a reasonable mammal." He showed them a gentle smile.

"Uh-huh…" Jackie peeked at his armed companion, whom she would describe with a different adjective.

Judy narrowed her eyes. "So what's your reason for this talk?"

"Straight to the point, eh? Most excellent, all those games and beating around the bush are quite tedious." The wolf rested his paws on the table. "I have an offer for you. The two of you will spend the night here, as our guests. Midnight will show you around, you will meet a few mammals," he randomly waved his paw in the air, "and tomorrow, you will promise to never utter a word about what you have seen here, and we'll part ways." The wolf joined his paws again, looking at two officers of the law.

Judy watched him cautiously. "Sorry for following a cliche, but… What if we say 'no'?"

Mr. Pink Plushie didn't even blink. "You will die."

Judy felt a chill nibbling at the base of her spine. Judging by the subtle twitch from Jackie, the cheetah felt something similar. It wasn't just the message itself, but the way he delivered it. No poetics, word games, or lengthy speeches. Plain and simple.

"So…" Jackie swallowed, not taking her eye away from the wolf. "It's basically 'shut up or die'?"

Volkov allowed himself the briefest of smiles. "If we overlook the crude expression, then… yes."

Judy did not like the choices laid out before them. She wasn't keen on dying, but the prospect of knowing about a criminal organization and letting them run free also wasn't appealing. She could barely tolerate the existence of Mr. Big's group, given the fact that his business usually balanced on the edge of the law. The bunny wasn't aware of all the workings of his group, but she knew about some of the shadier deals. What somewhat compensated for it was the fact that Big wasn't running around murdering everyone he met. And he-

"What kind of a deal is that?!" Jackie's exclamation interrupted the doe's thoughts. The cheetah had her paws clenched, focused solely on the master of assassins. "Either way, you're forcing us to do something you want."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that you have no room for negotiation here, miss Jacqueline."

The name stung her, but she wasn't going to step down just because of that. "There's no way th-"

Judy placed a paw on her arm. "How about being discovered by the ZIA? Did you consider that in your calculations?" She had no choice but to play this card.

This made Volkov shift in his seat, resting his elbow on the armrest and his cheek on one paw. "You seem to put an awful amount of confidence in that institution." His voice was anything but worried.

She shrugged. "Would a serial killer and an organization of similar mammals be a point of interest for the ZIA? I wonder." The doe didn't even try to be subtle with her sarcasm.

That's when the wolf let out a sigh and shook his head. "Yes, in your eyes we are nothing but a bunch of maniac killers, frothing at our mouths." He gestured towards his subordinate. "What do you say, Vasily? Should we kill someone to cheer ourselves up?"

Both females glanced at the swordsmammal, unsure how this would play out, but Vasily simply shrugged.

"Ladies," the wolf continued with a tired voice, "you seem to have a rather idealistic view of the world. But, I assure you, no cavalry will be rushing to your aid. Let me explain why, so that you can prepare yourselves for the disappointment." He folded his paws in front of him again.

Both females stared at him suspiciously.

"We live in a world with walls, and those walls are guarded by mammals with guns. Typically, this is the duty of institutions like the army or the police. However," he raised a finger, "there are times when the, let's say, 'official' forces are spread thin. Also, they could lack the tools, or social acceptance, to neutralize a threat."

Judy grimaced hearing this, putting the pieces together. "Let me guess… you're that tool."

Volkov showed them a brief smile.

"Wait," Jackie joined in, "you're telling me that you guys are working for the government?!"

"Not 'for', per se, as a more fitting word would be 'with'. The organization is not taking orders from anyone. But, yes, we do provide services for a price."

The bunny nodded tersely. "You're acting as their mercenaries, and they are covering your butts." This would make perfect sense. Why else would all those cases be labeled as unsolvable? Why couldn't agent Pawthorne push his investigation forward for so long?

"I'm glad that you are quick on the uptake. Saves us time on explanations."

Jackie actually growled, "This is just a load of crap! You're garbage who kills for money."

This made the wolf lean forward, supporting his elbows on the table. "Interesting point of view. Would you argue, then, that anyone who receives money for doing their job, including killing, is 'garbage'?"

"Don't change the subject!" the cheetah barked back.

"Oh? But we're still very much on the subject. Tell me, what do you call soldiers, or police officers, for that matter, since they also receive pay?"

"What are you talking about?" Judy interjected, increasingly irritated with the wolf's line of thinking. "Don't compare mammals who risk their lives to protect the civilian population to a bunch of murderers for hire!"

Volkov simply raised a brow at her outburst. "It is forbidden to kill; therefore, all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." He eyed them for a silent moment before sighing as his shoulders sagged. "I miss Nicholas in moments like these..." Then he reached for the newspaper he brought with him. With calm and patience, the one-eyed predator flipped a few pages. The young females were watching his every move in silence until he seemed to find what he was looking for and slid the newspaper in their direction.

Judy stopped it with a paw, and both females slowly looked down at the paper. For a moment, they weren't sure what they were looking at, but their eyes soon found an article talking about a 'mysterious' death in a foreign land.

"Authorities report…" Jackie started reading out loud. "... the leader found dead… crippling blow to the criminal syndicate…" She blinked. "You're not saying…"

Volkov sent another item across the table, which Judy caught. It was a small necklace, and it looked… Her eyes snapped towards the text, where a photo of the deceased was printed. The mammal was wearing the very same item around his neck.

"It is a fact that our organization has a very bloody history, resulting in many dead mammals, but…" He pointed at the newspaper before them. "Some of those mammals are far better off dead. And what is an official power to do when society condemns killing, yet expects to be protected from those vermin? They sometimes need freelancers, like us, to do a job they can't be seen doing." Volkov leaned back in his chair, gazing at the silent officers. "You see us as evil, but unfortunately for you, we are a necessary evil."

The female duo stared back at him before Jackie shook her head. "You expect us to buy this crap?"

Judy remained silent, as she wasn't so hasty in making her judgment. Though she hated to admit it, the wolf's words made some sense. That is - she locked her gaze on Volkov - if one were to talk only from a purely logical point of view. "The government might use you, but it still does not make it right. Murder is murder, no matter how you try to sugarcoat it. There is no moral justification here."

"Very true." The wolf simply stared back at them. "I have never claimed to be innocent. I am a murderer. Then, again, I invite you to consider a holistic approach. For instance," he gestured towards them, "have you ever asked your own police chief how many mammals he has killed for the sake of the so-called 'peace'?" The wolf slightly tilted his head to the side. "I'm sure the answer would surprise you."

Jackie frowned. "Wha-"

He waved her response away. "Of course, that's not how the police force functions. You work in the light, in the flashes of media cameras, in the lenses of smartphones held by social media users. You are not allowed to step out of line." He indicated them once more. "Should you kill a criminal, even accidentally, there is bound to be an internal investigation, a whole procedure, et cetera, et cetera…"

Judy sprung up, supporting herself with both paws on the table. "Because justice is done in the light! It's for everyone to see that there is no deception! You can't simply waltz around, killing anyone you want without any investigation or trial!" Her exclamation left the room in silence for several seconds.

Volkov was the first to break it. "Interesting. Now I can fully understand why you have such an influence on Nicholas."

Both females' ears twitched to those words.

The wolf went on. "You remind him of his old, innocent self. That there are ideals and dreams out there, not just cheap words, ready to be embraced by those who believe."

Hearing this, Judy couldn't hold her tongue. "And you twisted him…"

Volkov took a moment to look at the two hostile expressions before him. "So it would seem..." he said quietly. "I wish there could have been a different way… But what's done is done." The wolf supported his paws on the armrests and stood up. "It's getting late, and I still have matters to attend to. Vasily will take you to Midnight. She will show you around. Please don't hesitate to ask her questions. Oh, and I must ask you to hand over your phones." He gestured towards the white mammal.

Jackie blinked, somewhat taken aback by the sudden end of the conversation. "Hang on-" She shot up from her seat, but immediately winced, holding her hurt side with a groan.

Volkov half turned to her. "I would advise you to take care of your wounds first."

"Thanks for caring," the cheetah muttered through clenched teeth. "And, sorry, I didn't take my phone with me." She looked him in the eye.

Slightly tilting his head to the side, he looked back.

Jackie swallowed. "Well… Maybe... I'll search my pockets… Just to be sure."

Volkov nodded and headed towards the door. "Ah, since we're already talking..." He turned back to approach the other assassin, placing a paw on his shoulder. "I wish to apologize, again, for the horrific lack of hospitality from Vasily."

The females exchanged brief glances, both unsure where this was leading. The white-furred predator lowered his head, his face covered with the shadow of shame.

"Therefore, as compensation for his lack of discipline, he will owe you both a favor. That is an order," the wolf said directly to Vasily.

Jackie actually started thinking that the snow-colored assassin might not exactly obey.

However, the mammal immediately steeled his expression and bowed his head. "Yes!"

"Very well," Volkov nodded, apparently satisfied with this, "then I shall take my leave." And the wolf walked out, leaving the females alone with the mammal who almost sliced them to bits. Twice.

"Um…" Jackie bravely began, but immediately ran out of bravado under the icy gaze of their guide.

"Your wish?" he asked of them. There was no hostility in his voice.

To Judy he sounded like a soldier who was awaiting orders. However, nothing was coming to her mind, especially under the current circumstances. She glanced over to Jackie, and the cheetah had a similar look in her eyes. That's when she had a brief thought. "To clarify," she addressed Vasily, "we can ask you to do something for us, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay…" Judy cautiously stood in front of her friend, just in case. "Then can we ask you to tell us about Nick's history in this place?"

The effect was quite educational for the doe.

Vasily's expression looked as if boiling anger hit the brakes right before snapping. She could see his gritted teeth, how his fingers clenched the sheath of his sword, to the point of trembling. Nevertheless, even though his face depicted fury on the verge of erupting, Vasily did not move an inch from where he stood. Judy couldn't help but be impressed. This was a display of a truly insane level of self-control.

"You…" he spat out through his teeth.

"Okay, okay, forget I asked!" The bunny waved her paw at him. Still, he kept glaring at her, tense all over. "I mean it, you don't need to tell us anything."

"Yeah… I'll second that," Jackie muttered as she also watched the assassin's internal struggle. Though her curiosity was eating her from the inside to know what Nick had done to earn such ferocious hate, she could also recognize someone on the edge.

Only after that did the predator relax, letting go of his sword. "What… your wish?" he muttered in a much calmer voice.

This time, Judy looked up at her friend, but she saw only a mirrored mindset in Jackie's eyes.

The cheetah scratched her head. "Dunno… Um, do we have to decide right now?"

He shook his head. "No."

Judy's mind was blank in this matter. She considered going through with Volkov's suggestion. "Jackie, feel like going on a trip?"

"Well… I guess it's fine, as long as we don't trigger Mr. Scissorpaws." She sent Vasily a brief look, but the mammal only narrowed his eyes a little with a slightly tilted head.

"Okay." Judy nodded before addressing the assassin. "Lead the way, please."

The mammal stood in place and held out his paw, palm up. "Phones."

The doe mumbled under her breath and reached for her pocket. Jackie did the same.

.

.

On their way back to Midnight, the trio encountered several mammals of various species and genders, but then they almost bumped into a certain marsupial, and he looked…

"Hang on a second! I've seen you before!" The doe pointed a finger at the blue-sweatered kangaroo carrying a file. "In the ZPD archives! I mean, you're…" she briefly searched her memory. "Ramic, right?"

He seemed only slightly surprised at the statement. "Ah, Officer Hopps, hello," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone, wearing a welcoming smile.

Jackie looked equally surprised. "Holy- That meek-looking guy hopping around with the files is you?!"

"Uh, well... yes. I usually hop. Using my tail to walk doesn't look very dignified so I try to avoid it at work," he explained while scratching the back of his head.

"You're an assassin and you work for the ZPD?!" Judy was still in a state shock.

"Oh, no, no." He quickly waved his paws. "More like an archivist, er, a scribe, maybe? I don't feel too good with blood, death, and all that stuff."

Judy shook her head with her mouth slightly open. "I don't believe this..."

Ramic waved his free paw. "No, really! I mean, I get queasy just with a paper cut." Then he brightened up. "I know, maybe if I demonstrate..." He put down the files on the floor and took out a single sheet of paper from them. The marsupial clenched his teeth and ran the edge of it over his extended finger. A crimson color appeared on his digit and quickly started to expand, running down his fur. "Uhh, see?" He cringed at the sight of the red liquid. "I really don't like it."

All of them stood in an awkward silence for a moment, before Ramic's eyes widened and his ears fell. "Oh, sweet Savannah, I cut myself!" he exclaimed weakly and grabbed the hurt finger. "Midniiight! Help, I'm bleeding!" He hopped away in a great hurry.

The females watched this scene with confusion, not exactly sure how this mammal even got into the organization. They were about to walk, but Judy's foot touched something on the floor.

.

.

They soon arrived at Midnight's office again, hearing her already from the corridor. "It's just a small cut, you big goof!"

As they walked into the room, they could see a very miserable-looking kangaroo having his finger fixed with a band-aid.

"Hello." Judy said, entering the office with Jackie. "Um, I think you forgot this." She held out the files the kangaroo left on the corridor floor.

In effect, the marsupial's droopy ears sprung up. "My documents! Oh, thank you so much!" He approached her with a single hop, forgetting the finger entirely.

"You're welcome." The bunny returned them to their owner, feeling the joy radiating from the fellow prey.

"Midnight." Vasily chimed in. "Master said you guide them. If they don't, I cut them." He stated in his usual voice.

Jackie's head snapped towards him. "Wha- That's not what he said!"

The white predator flashed his fangs. "I joke."

The cheetah deflated, utterly flabbergasted by the sheer fact that this mammal was capable of joking. An anxious giggle escaped her throat.

Shooting Vasily an unfriendly glare, Judy turned to Midnight. "Volkov said that he'd like you to… show us around."

"Ah, yes. He already messaged me about it." She smiled and tapped the phone on her desk. "In fact, I am ready to go right now. Shall we?"

"Oh, oh!" Ramic energetically raised a paw. "Are you heading to the living room? I could tag along. I'm going there, anyway."

The snow leopardess nodded. "Well, we can start there. I see no problem with it."

In the next minute, the two officers were on their way to the so-called 'living room', accompanied by an assassin doctor, a (self-proclaimed) non-assassin archivist, and an assassin capable of cutting them to bits, should they sneeze the wrong way.

.

.

The moment his phone rang, Nick was already smashing the 'answer' icon. "Is-"

"They are fine, for now," the wolf interjected. "And your mate will be perfectly safe till tomorrow morning, I can promise you that much."

A sudden chill made Nick forget about correcting his master. "Why tomorrow?"

"I gave them a simple choice and time to think. Their fate will be based upon their answer."

Closing his eyes, Nick took a deep breath, worried that he would regret the next question. "What… kind of choice?"

The wolf sighed. "Nicholas…"

The chill turned into an icy grip as blood drained from the fox's face. "You know she won't agree…"

Volkov rubbed his forehead with one paw. "Do not be hasty in your judgment."

But his calm voice did nothing to soothe Nick. The red-furred predator gripped the phone tightly. "If… If you hurt her…" His breathing gradually became faster, with blood rushing to his eyes as the pupils shifted into their savage form. "I will never forgive you!"

There was a second of silence before Volkov answered. "I am well aware of that, and I don't blame you. I would behave exactly the same way in your situation." But then his voice dropped to a far lower level. "Though I advise you to not do anything foolish."

Normally, that would be enough for Nick to back away, but not this time. His savage side and his heart were both overflowing with aggressive protectiveness. "Don't lecture me on what I should do!" the fox growled into the phone.

This caused Volkov to scrunch his nose. "Calm yourself, boy." His voice gained a cold, harsh undertone.

"SHUT UP!" Nick exploded. "You're threatening to kill my beloved and ask me to be calm?! You're insane, that's what you are!" He was openly yelling at this point. "You're always doing this! Do you think that the entire world is your playground?!"

His father remained silent.

"You're not taking her away from me, you hear that?! I will face the entire organization if that's what it takes! You're not going to stop me!" Nick smashed his fist on the concrete wall, leaving a crack. "I'll kill you if I have to!"

Volkov said nothing.

At the same time, the fox was panting, gritting his teeth. It lasted just a few seconds before he slumped against the wall, sliding down to the floor. The heavy breaths from before slowly turned into anxious gasps. Within minutes, Nick went from a predator burning with rage to a hopeless mammal curled up on the floor.

He started sobbing.

Using his arms to cover his face, Nicholas Wilde wept, weakened by the gaping void in him, left by the dark rage he just unleashed.

"My son…" Alexander said quietly. "I'm sorry." His voice lost all traces of harshness. Instead, it gained a heavy depth. The wolf went silent for a couple more seconds. "Try doing some meditation… It helps in difficult moments. I'll call you tomorrow." He ended the call.

Alexander Volkov looked out the window of his office and let out a sigh. The predator slowly raised his paw and placed it on the glass, staring at his own reflection. The image seemed to look much older than him. Or maybe it didn't? His body was definitely showing signs of tiredness.

A few moments later, the wolf's ears flickered, catching faint noises from the corridor. In the next second, there was a knock on the door. It didn't sound hurried or forceful, and it had a respectful vibe. "Junior?" asked a muffled voice.

Volkov breathed out with relief, now fully aware who was in the corridor. "Come in, Theodore."

The door opened, and an elderly figure walked in. The guest looked old, far older than the master of assassins. At first glance, most mammals would say that he was in his eighties, maybe even older. Still, he approached the wolf, wearing the smile of a teenager. "I've heard the news!" the old coyote cackled gleefully and got close enough to give Volkov a friendly elbow. "Beatin' up girls is your new hobby, junior?"

The wolf sighed and sat on the edge of his desk, folding his arms in front of him. "Just a friendly warning." His body visibly relaxed.

The elderly predator set his paws on his hips. They added more smudges to an already smeared jumpsuit. He even had a few screwdrivers stuffed in his pockets. "Hah! They are alive, I can call that friendly. Still, I'm curious what kind of flowers you have caught this time." The mammal giggled.

"They won't be joining us, Theodore," Volkov stated dismissively. "I gave them the other choice."

His guest simply shrugged. "Oh, well. An old mammal can dream, right?" Then he pointed a finger at the wolf. "In case of a 'no', be sure to make it quick, you hear me, junior?"

Volkov shook his head. "You know I always do."

"Very good." The coyote leaned forward to pat his shoulder. "I'll leave you to it, then. I still have a lot of work to do on Helen." He turned around and started to leave, when he snapped his fingers. "Blasted rotten brain!" The old coyote half-turned to Volkov. "How's sweet lil' Viv, huh?"

Not a muscle moved on the wolf's scarred face. "She hates me."

Theodore held his gaze for a fraction of a moment, before waving his paw dismissively. "Bah! Who doesn't?" He started walking again but pointed a finger at Volkov once more. "That's the effect you have on mammals. Don't let that get to you. Heck, I hated you when we met!" He laughed. "Oh, hey, Jack-o! High five!" The old predator held up his paw in front of a striped, grey bunny that appeared in the door frame. "Aww, I forgot… You're too short!"

Laughter followed Theodore as he disappeared into the corridor.

Jack shook his head as he entered the office. "Hey, boss, got a minute?" The buck addressed the master of assassins, who was standing by his desk, presenting an impeccable, confident posture. "Come in, Jack." Volkov invited him with a wave of his paw.

"It's about that new assignment…"

.

.

The female officers weren't surprised by the fact that the 'living room' turned out to be the place they'd visited before. Though the difference was that several mammals were now gathered in one of the corners of the massive space. What they missed earlier was the fact that said corner was occupied by… a massive tree.

Jackie leaned to her friend. "Hoppsy, isn't that…"

Judy closed her eyes and shook her head. "I must be seeing things…"

"Then we're hallucinating together, but that's a freakin' Christmas tree!" the cheetah hissed right above the doe's ear.

What they suspected to be a hallucination was doing a very good job in being decorated by lights, colorful bulbs, and little figurines. Jackie recognized the young cheetah from before as she danced around the branches, hanging new ornaments with speed and energy worthy of her species. Other mammals were also doing their best, using the materials from a pile of boxes nearby. Tanya and Ester were also taking part in it, though it mostly consisted of the feline mother saving the ornaments from being eaten by her daughter. The little girl seemed particularly upset about losing the chance to gobble up a bright red Santa Claws figurine.

The two officers froze for a moment, taking in the scenery of a group of murderers happily decorating a Christmas tree.

"Aww, couldn't you wait for me?" Midnight cooed behind their backs and hurried past them to help with the decorating.

After they'd reached the end of the stairs, Judy and Jackie simply stared at the scene, with Vasily standing behind them.

"This…" The cheetah hesitated from the lack of sufficient vocabulary, "is definitely not what I expected of this place."

"Hey, guys! Wanna join?" The young cheetah waved at them over a box packed with tinsel.

Judy and Jackie approached somewhat cautiously, eyeing the decorations and the joyful female.

"Uh, hi…" The feline officer offered a tiny wave of her paw. "Clawhauser, right? You got a… familiar name."

The younger cheetah gave her a surprised look, but it soon turned into realization. "Ohh, right! You're police officers. You must be talking about my brother." She pointed at them with the tip of a sparkly red tinsel.

Both friends said the same word. "Brother?"

"Mhm. Is he still on that stupid doughnut diet?"

Judy was first to regain her voice. "Ah… Well, I'm afraid so…"

The girl clicked her tongue and dropped the decoration into the box. "He never learns, does he? Last time I saw him, he was already twice the him I knew."

Jackie did some quick weight math, and thought that either she saw him loong ago, or Clawhauser was already plump to begin with.

"Whe-"

"Jo, darling!" Midnight popped up right between them, exuding politeness and joy. "So nice to see you taking care of our guests. You won't mind if I kidnap them for a while? Our dear leader would like me to be a guide for these ladies tonight."

"Ah, sure. Then we'll just keep decorating the tree." With that said, the girl grabbed a pawful of tinsel. "Say hi to my brother from me, 'kay?" She smiled at the officers before spinning around and joining the others.

Midnight gently directed the two friends in a different direction. "Now then, if I may interest you in some refreshments." She nodded at a tray on a table nearby. It was full of glasses, plus several bottles of different kinds of juice. "I do advise you to take a sip. We will be a while, and it's best to avoid a tour with a cottonmouth." The snow leopardess was swift in setting three glasses to the side, giving the females an inquiring look. Jackie and Judy couldn't deny that they were rather thirsty. The bunny asked for apple juice, while her friend went for an orange one after asking if there is any sparkling juice.

As they drank, Judy continued to observe their surroundings. One particular sight got her attention. Two mammals were sitting by a small, square table. They had a chess board between them. One was a male hyena in a black jacket. He was scratching the underside of his muzzle in thought while his other paw was holding some sort of a round object. Judy couldn't tell what it was, but he was squeezing it repeatedly. The other player was a middle-aged wolf. Judging by his posture and choice of elegant attire, he was a mammal of high standards.

They were both staring intently at the gathered chess pieces. After a minute of stillness, the wolf made a move.

His opponent let out a sigh. "Do you always have to move in a way I don't want you to?"

The canine player raised a brow. "Is there any other?" he asked with a hint of amusement.

"You just enjoy exhausting mammals."

"That is a hurtful accusation. I am merely demonstrating my respect by playing to the best of my ability."

His opponent raised an unamused brow. "Right." He made his move and let out a stifled snort. "Heh. Check."

The wolf replied with a confident smile.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT COUNTRY MUSIC?!"

After this roar resounded in the room, a spotted blur swished past the females.

"Oh, come on! You won't know until you try, righ?" Clawhauser's sister spun around, waving a music player in her paw. It was playing a country song.

A snow leopard was stomping towards her with all hell painted on his face. "That's garbage, not music!"

"Okay! Okay! Sheesh…" She turned the music off with a huff. "It's off, satisfied, Rook?"

The predator seemed to be appeased with that, as he nodded and returned to the Christmas tree.

After watching this scene, Jackie's attention drifted towards a group of mammals gathered around a large table. The smallest one being a rat in a checkered shirt who was sitting on top of it.

"What do you mean they're still not together?!" A red fox slammed his fist on the table, making the rodent lose his balance.

"Hey, I'm the author, I decide," the rat grumbled back, folding his little arms. "Besides, when did I ever say that they will end up as a couple?"

"Wha- But that's obvious, right?" Ramic joined in.

"Of course it is!" A Tasmanian tiger jumped on the wooden piece of furniture, right next to the small mammal. He placed a paw on his t-shirt covered chest. "For they are destined to be together, even if of different species! Love conquers all!"

"Oi, someone get this fluff maniac off the table!"

The kangaroo raised a paw to his energetic friend. "Um, Zan, Lib has a point. You might accidentally step on him."

"Hm? Oh, right, sorry." He jumped down and returned to his seat. "But that boyfriend of hers has to die. No question about it."

The rat wiggled his whiskers irritably. "Or what? You're gonna start a 'kill-the-boyfriend' campaign?"

The red fox rubbed the underside of his muzzle. "Hmm… Now that you're saying this…"

Jackie shook her head and looked at the last table she hasn't surveyed before.

A lone mammal was sitting there and was a sight just by himself. He was an albino rabbit, which contrasted highly with his dark attire. A black top hat was resting on the table, right next to a large plate filled with cake. The mammal was busy consuming the dessert, but he paused at one moment to look up at the cheetah.

Jackie saw a pair of unfriendly red eyes.

"This place sure is a melting pot…" she muttered to herself.

"Um, I need to ask…" Judy said, gesturing vaguely towards Clawhauser's sister. "That cheetah girl, is she-"

"You could call her something of an… honorary member of the organization." Midnight smiled, as she raised her glass to a passing mammal, who returned the gesture. "See, she has nowhere else to go, so it was kind of natural for her to become one of us. And, no," she raised a finger at the officers, "she's not killing anyone, if that's what you'd like to ask."

Judy had a new set of questions ready but had already learned to filter them carefully. A police officer couldn't afford to be a chatterbox. "She has a family. Why wouldn't she be with them?"

The leopardess let out a sigh, looking at the young cheetah across the hall. "There are… circumstances. I shouldn't say any more than this, but the outside world is very dangerous to this poor child."

"And what about the police?" Jackie asked.

Judy nodded in agreement. "The ZPD could-"

"Do you really think that you could protect her when even we can barely do that here?" Midnight's interjection was soft, yet underlaid with a firm backbone.

"Okay…" Jackie scratched her head. "Talk about dramatic introductions."

"You can ask her yourself. It depends on her, whether she will share her story." Midnight took a sip from her glass. "We have a rule - your past is your own. Nobody is allowed to tell it without your permission."

This got an eyebrow raise from Judy. It did not go unnoticed.

"Hm? That surprised that a bunch of killers have honor? Look…" The leopardess gulped down the remaining juice and put the glass away. "I know what master Volkov is doing by letting you roam reasonably free around here."

"PR campaign?" Jackie suggested. She was slower to drink, mostly due to limited arm movement.

"He's being reasonable. Not that he ever said it openly, but I know that he's giving you a chance to make a fully informed choice."

Judy gave her a serious look. "So you know about his so-called offer." A sudden thought made the doe narrow her eyes. "... You've seen it before, haven't you?"

The snow leopardess nodded. "Yes."

Jackie grimaced. "And the results?"

Midnight looked her in the eye for a moment, before gesturing towards one of the corridors. "Why don't we take a look around?" Without waiting for an answer, the doctor headed out.

The officers looked after her for a second.

"Hoppsy…"

"Yeah, I know," Judy set her glass aside, "but we don't have-"

"Much choice, right?" Jackie let out a sigh and both females followed their guide.

.

.

"What's that noise?" Jackie inquired, due to the increasing volume of piercing sounds.

They were now on the ground floor, judging by the elevator's panel. Midnight led them through something like a technical door, and then through an empty corridor, right to one more door.

"Before we enter, I must warn you." Midnight turned to the officers. "The mammal we're about to meet is… a bit eccentric. My advice? Don't stand too close to him."

Judy's ears twitched. "Wouldn't that advice go well with most of your members?" She asked innocently, though she laced the question with a pinch of sarcasm.

The snow leopardess simply smiled at her words. "Well… You'll see for yourself." And she pushed the door open.

Jackie and Judy's noses were suddenly attacked by the thick smell of grease, metal, and rubber. They had entered a vast garage, which seemed to be combined with some sort of a workshop. The bunny couldn't see too much, as she was dwarfed by the size of a nearby car - a massive, lion-sized, black SUV. Only when they turned to the right and got closer to the wall riddled with numerous tools could Judy see the true scope of this place. There were two more cars lined up, but unlike the first one, they seemed to be undergoing some sort of repairs. One was even hovering above the ground due to a vehicle lift.

"Gramps!" Midnight yelled to be heard over the noise.

That was because of a mammal that was using one of the devices in the corner. A figure in a jumpsuit was busy causing sparks with a piece of metal.

But the leopardess seemed to be addressing someone else. "Gramps!"

"Hoo, no need to yell. You want this old mammal to go deaf?" a voice asked from the level of the floor.

All three females looked down. A smiling face was looking up at them from a creeper.

"Midnight! A wonderful sight for sore eyes!" the mammal cackled as he got up.

The officers noticed how the leopardess took a graceful step back.

"Busy as always, Theodore?"

"Bah!" The elderly coyote slid protective goggles from his face. "I always have time for beautiful ladies." Then his eyes shifted to Jackie and Judy. "And I can see that you've brought some new gems with you."

Midnight simply nodded with a smile and pointed at the coyote with her paw. "This is-"

"Theodore Joseph Williams, at your service!" he interjected and stepped closer to the two friends faster than his age would suggest possible. "What be your names?"

Jackie raised her brows at this sudden closure of distance, and her nose scrunched a bit from the smell of grease and oil coming from the coyote. "It's... Jackie."

"The pleasure is all mine!" He chuckled and narrowed his eyes while looking at both officers. "I say, the longer I live the more beautiful the new generations become!" The old coyote opened his arms. "Anyone fancy a hug?"

The officers exchanged brief glances out of the corners of their eyes.

"Aw, don't be shy. Grandpa Theo is always happy to hug beautiful females." He smiled generously. "Call it an addiction, if you will. Someone can be a junkie, but I'm a huggie."

Nobody moved.

Theodore lowered his arms a bit. "What, no takers?" His eyes turned to the snow leopardess and a spark of hope ignited in them. "Midnight?"

The doctor showed a polite smile. "You have grease all over. Please restrain yourself."

He dropped his arms and deflated completely. "Ugh… You youngsters…" Not a second passed when he made a full, cheerful recovery and turned towards the officers. "Then- Oh, wait." He quickly rubbed his paw on a arguably clean part of his suit and offered it to the cheetah.

She gave him a hesitant look, but ultimately decided to risk a pawshake.

He beamed and turned his head to Judy, not letting go of the cheetah's paw. "And this lovely twenty five year old lady? May I know your name?"

The doe felt strange under this mammal's gaze. He was very straightforward, almost pushy, yet there didn't seem to be any malice in his actions. Plus, she realized that she has never told him her age. It was yet another question she stored in her mind for later.

"I'm-"

"Where's my bloody sandwich?!"

Theodore smiled. "Ah! You've yet to meet Oli!" He gestured towards the tool wall, where a young female coyote was rummaging through the stuff left on the lengthy workshop desk. "Darling, please say hello to our guests."

The canine in a jumpsuit similar to Theodore's turned to the group and gave them a brief look. "I can't find my fuc-"

"Language," he cut in instantly.

"I'm hungry!" the young female growled at the old coyote. "Where did you put my fu-"

"I didn't take it," the old mammal replied with unvarying politeness. "And, again, please don't use bad vocabulary. You are smart enough to come up with much more fitting words." He raised a finger. "I got it! How about some songs?" The old coyote started humming. "I got a sister in that land, I got a sister in that land-"

"Ugh!" The girl in the jumpsuit cringed. "I hate that song!" She pivoted on her foot and rushed out of the workshop.

Theodore sighed. "Sorry, she's rather hot-tempered." He addressed the officers.

"Right…" Jackie muttered, keeping a safe distance from the canine.

"I wonder why…" Judy murmured under her nose.

At that point Midnight cleared her throat. "Since we're already talking, how are the repairs going?"

"Oh, just wonderful!" Theodore beamed. "I'm almost done with Lisbeth, but I really want to go back to my work on Helen."

Jackie stared at him. "You've named the cars?"

"But of course! I've been taking care of our vehicles for twenty years! They are like my own children."

Both females' ears twitched.

"Twenty-"

"-years?"

Judy couldn't help but to explore the opportunity. "Do you know Nick?"

After she asked the question the coyote's eyes rested on her. The merry glitter in them was gone, replaced with sharpness. "You must be Judy." Even his voice transformed. It no longer belonged to a happy-go-lucky old mammal. Now it was heavy with age, and laced with something else that the doe couldn't exactly describe, but it definitely wasn't bright. "Junior mentioned you before." He rubbed his chin in thought. "You must be quite a special guest. After all, not everyone gets mentioned by Alexander."

Jackie frowned at this. "Junior?

"Hah, does he look old to you, compared to me?" He showed a half-smile. "Regarding that Nick boy, I have one piece of advice for you - do not approach him carelessly." His voice dropped a few levels. "Not if you value your life."

A second stole all sound from the room.

"What do you mean?" both officers said afterwards.

The elderly mammal didn't respond immediately, he seemed to be weighing some thoughts in his mind.

"So he didn't explain to you…" he muttered seemingly to himself. "Well, no helping it. You should ask Junior directly."

Jackie clicked her tongue. "Right. As if he's going to tell us."

"Mind you, not everyone likes to get their past unraveled." Theodore rested his paws on his hips. "In the case of that boy, you might discover something you wished you had never known."

Judy made a step forward. "He's our friend."

"For now," the elderly coyote sighed before waving his paw dismissively. "Anyway, this reminds me, when I was twenty years younger, I-"

"Let's stop there, shall we?" Midnight interjected with immaculate politeness and a smile. "The day won't last forever, and we still haven't finished our tour."

Judy would happily nod to that, and she even began turning towards the door when her memory supplied one more possible link. "Eveline…" she muttered into the air, before looking at the coyote again. "Do you know Eveline Tigri?"

Her question froze the elderly mammal for a moment. Then he tilted his head slightly to the side. "Where did you hear that name?"

Judy suppressed an instinct to smile from a scored point. "So you do know her."

But Theodore wasn't paying attention to that. Instead, he took a step towards Judy. "I'm an honest mammal. Tell me where you heard it, or I will stop being polite."

Judy took a half-step back, surprised by the sudden change in the old mammal's character.

Midnight stepped forward. "Gramps-"

He cut her off with a paw. "Junior's deal or not, you're not leaving until I hear your answer."

"... What if I refuse?" Judy queried with a touch of cheekiness. "You're going to hit a female?"

"Either you will tell me, or Junior will extract that knowledge from you. Trust me," he moved closer, "you don't want that."

Jackie tried to step in, but the coyote pointed at her with a finger, not taking his eyes off Judy.

The doe eyed Midnight's reaction, but the leopardess simply stood there. She briefly considered fighting, but Volkov wouldn't let them walk around if he hadn't been sure that they wouldn't be able to escape. "I've been investigating your organization for a while. I noticed the name in one of the cases," she muttered, mentally keeping her fingers crossed.

"Which case?"

"I can't remember."

"Did you tell anyone about it? Asked questions?"

"No." This one was true.

The tense air lasted for several silent seconds, during which the coyote focused on the doe's face, before he put both paws on his hips. "I guess this'll have to do, for now…" He turned around and headed for the tool wall. "Make sure you don't mention that name in front of Junior, though."

Jackie couldn't stop herself. "Why? He'll throw a tantrum?"

It took just the elderly coyote's gaze to silent her.

"Right!" Midnight exclaimed, clapping her paws. "How about I show you the rest of the place?"

Saying that, the leopardess didn't await for any response, but simply waved her paw to invite the females to follow her.

The elderly coyote simply shrugged, but when the females were passing by, he sent them a wink.

.

.

Jackie breathed out with relief when the garage door closed behind them. "What the slow hell was that? Who is that old guy?"

Midnight spared them a light smile. "Theo is… complicated. Though, for fairness' sake, I must add that he is always honest in his actions. Since he praised your appearance," she nodded towards the cheetah, "you can be sure that he one hundred percent thinks that."

"Well, as long as he's not forcing himself on others..." Judy muttered with a disgruntled face.

"You'd be surprised how adored he is." Midnight chuckled. "I've personally seen waitresses and hostesses flock around him in some clubs or restaurants. He is vastly generous with compliments and tips. If you were to observe him there, you would get a chance to see that he truly cares about them. Even if some consider him rude, his admiration for females is genuine." She gave them a wink and kept walking.

The two friends looked at each other.

"And what about that girl?" Judy posed a question. "She is definitely underage, is he also 'admiring' her?"

Midnight stopped, almost making the two females bump into her.

"Let me tell you something about Theodore," she said before turning around. Her expression remained kind, but now showed a shadow of sharpness, just like her voice. "Prior to joining the organization, he stumbled upon three adult males sexually harassing a young girl." Her eyes wandered from one officer to another. "Theodore beat them to death, and the girl was saved."

Judy blinked, while Jackie's eyes widened.

Midnight went on. "He's repeatedly hunted down sex offenders in Zootopia, especially those who would target underage females. That mammal spends his free time and salary on tipping waitresses as much as possible to support them. From what I know, he's also spent a fortune, over the years, to help prostitutes escape from their miserable life." She turned back to the corridor and continued to walk. "Just one more thing. I mentioned Theodore's past solely because he's very open about it. He simply doesn't mind others learning of his history. But he's an exception, so please don't get too familiar with this concept."

"Gee," Jackie sighed theatrically, "we're in a place filled with professional killers. I wonder why they are not so keen about their pasts."

Midnight simply smiled in an unreadable way and moved forward.

.

.

Their next step turned out to be several floors higher. Getting out of the elevator, the officers could see the lights of Zootopia through the windows in the corridor. The snow leopardess guided them through several turns, and they arrived at another door, with a small, but visible, sign that symbolised females.

"After you." Midnight opened the door for them.

They entered a brightly lit room which immediately looked familiar. Lockers, benches, the sound of running water… They were in a locker room.

"Right this way." The snow leopardess pointed at the door opposite to the entrance. Going through them, the females entered a huge, brightly lit, open space. It was very familiar to Judy.

"A gym…" she commented on the obvious.

"Of course," Midnight led them forward. "Absolute necessity to keep us in shape. As you can see, it is constantly in use, no matter the hour." She gestured towards a black-furred female who was busy training with a massive punching bag. There was no way they could mistake her for a male. Not with what some would call a rather… skimpy attire.

And the officers' reactions differed, as Judy felt a brief flash of relief that she wasn't here with Nick, since she would have to fight an urge to use her elbow again. Meanwhile, Jackie wondered where exactly the female bought those. Simply put, to wear less, she would have to don a bikini.

"Good evening, hon. Not helping Cecily decorate our tree?" Midnight greeted the training female.

The black feline delivered a quick combination of a few last punches and kicks before breathing out. "Evening, Midnight. We have supper later, so I'm waiting till she's done." She delivered one more kick and only then turned to the guests. "Fresh faces. You here to train?"

"Not exactly." Midnight stood between the officers and placed a paw on each one's shoulders.

"The boss wanted me to show them around."

The female folded her arms. Jackie could see the muscles shifting under the fur.

"Uh-huh." The feline gave the two friends a second look. "You can call me Legion."

The cheetah officer raised a brow. "Do we get to ask why, or would that be rude?"

This made the fellow feline crack a half-smile. "'Cause I like beating up a lot of mammals."

Midnight patted Jackie's shoulder. "Legion is a title which is passed from one fighter to another. It's essentially a mark of the best specialist in their field - fighting multiple enemies."

"Sooo… you're a fighting freak?" Jackie delivered a subtle question.

Legion narrowed her eyes at her. "An expert," she said with bared teeth.

Judy cleared her throat. "My friend meant it as a compliment. It's her way of phrasing it."

The black-furred female only waved her paw dismissively. "Whatever." She then peeked at the clock on the wall. "Ah, crap! Cecily is probably done by now! See ya, Mid!" Legion rushed to the locker room.

Midnight chuckled. "She loves that girl to bits. Such a devoted girlfriend. But let us move on. The others have probably started playing." The snow leopardess pointed at a set of double doors at the distant wall.

"Playing?"

Midnight crossed the gym and opened the door.

The females were immediately greeted by a whistle blow and the sounds of a commotion. A blur of several figures flashed past them. The new space turned out to be quite large and seemed to serve as some sort of a sports hall.

"Wha-"

A ball bounced off the wall and got caught by a pair of paws. The new owner of the round object rolled on the floor and jumped right forward.

Jackie followed her with her eyes. "It's-"

A white blur swished before her, lunging after the mammal.

"-the guy from earlier." The cheetah rasped at the sight of Vasily.

The female with the ball turned, changing directions, but was a fraction of a second late. Vasily dived forward, punching the object out of her paw. The ball flew towards the wall, where it bounced back. The assassin rolled and grabbed it.

"Hey!" the feline female huffed, rushing towards him.

Vasily ran towards the wall, with her hot on his heels. Reaching it, he simply jumped up and used the vertical surface to propel himself back in a flip above her head.

"Oh, come on!" she grunted, hitting the wall from the momentum.

The second he landed, Vasily rolled to the side as another female tried to grab the ball. She looked like an identical twin of the other player.

A whistle pierced the air. "No paws!" a badger announced from the sidelines.

Judy and Jackie gave him a puzzled look before they gazed back at the so-called game.

Vasily immediately nestled the ball between his muzzle and his chest. He then placed both paws behind his back.

The female players did the same and renewed their assault. One rushed first, shooting a straight kick towards the ball.

He swiftly backed away from her range. That's when the other performed a sweeping kick, which Vasily avoided by jumping to the side. This continued for a while, with the white predator maneuvering around in a way that always set his opponents in line with him. This made it impossible for them to attack both at once.

The whistle sounded again. "Teams allowed!"

Right after he announced it, both felines shared a smile.

"Now we're talking." One of them stretched her arms over her head.

"Indeed we are." Her twin stood by her side.

Judy noticed how they even had an identical trail of rosettes on their faces.

Vasily took the ball in one paw and assumed a defensive stance.

The females attacked.

It was a completely different game. Their attacks came in perfect sync, striking at different spots. This forced Vasily to back away, but they were on him in a flash. One kicked, the other punched. He ducked forward, right between them. But that's when one of them spun, hitting his face with her tail. The momentary distraction was enough. He received a kick to the back of his knee from one of the females, followed by a spinning elbow to the face from the other one.

He let go of the ball to block it, but even, then it threw him back, onto the ground.

"Thanks for the…"

"...ball. Nice playing…"

"...with you."

The twins smirked in the exact same way, with one of them holding the round object in her palm.

As he got to his knees, Vasily let out a low, guttural growl. This reaction made the twins focus again. He launched himself forward.

A few minutes later, both females were on the ground, panting and massaging sore spots, while Vasily stood with the ball in his fingers. The raccoon asked if they wanted to continue, but the twins simply shook their heads.

Meanwhile, Jackie was staring with her mouth open. Watching this 'game' made it clear to her that she never stood a chance against Vasily. The way he moved, how he combined attacks, even his awareness of his opponents' moves… They seemed like they were from another dimension. She had to accept the brutal reality of the difference between a rookie officer and a trained killer.

"Quite fun, don't you think?" Midnight asked the police duo. "And perfect for training adaptation in a dynamic environment."

"Yeah, sure…" Jackie turned her gaze away from the white predator. As if on cue, her chest wound ached.

"Well, since they're done, let us move on."

.

.

"Here we are," Midnight announced with a smile, leading them into a spacious room.

It was rather simple in design. It had two beds big enough for a mammal like Jackie, a small table with a pair of chairs by the glass wall, which served as a huge window, and a couple of nightstands with little lamps.

"Now then, if there's anything else you'd like to ask, feel free. Though I would strongly recommend a good night's sleep right now. Especially to you, dearie." The snow leopardess nodded towards Jackie.

The cheetah sighed. "Right, wouldn't want to be sleepy and tired for our execution…"

This made Midnight smile. "That is entirely up to you. Also," she pointed at the table, "we have a meal prepared for you, in case you got hungry after sightseeing."

Indeed, there was a covered tray waiting for them.

"If there's nothing else…" Their guide left the sentence hanging for a couple of seconds. Seeing silent shrugs from the females, she headed towards the door.

When she closed it behind her, the officers exchanged glances.

"Bugs?"

"Definitely."

"Should we search?"

"No need, I guess. Not like we have a lot to hide."

"True, just one choice - live or die."

They were enveloped by awkward silence.

"Maybe we can rest a bit for now?" Judy suggested.

"Yeah… And eat?" Jackie pointed at the tray.

The doe scratched her head. "Well, I suppose they wouldn't bother with poison, given our situation."

Her friend was too tired to argue. She simply dropped on one of the chairs and began indulging her empty stomach. Judy followed her footsteps.

After the meal Jackie gratefully dropped on one of the beds, laying flat on her back. "This… It's probably the craziest day of my life."

Judy tried to smile. "I guess we've set the bar pretty high." The doe sat on the second bed, facing the cheetah.

They both shared a short chuckle.

"I must say that they have gathered a lot of wackos in one place." Jackie made a comment.

"Ugh, I know I said that I want a boyfriend, but just that mechanic creeps me out. I'm not that desperate."

"Well… He didn't seem that bad." Judy followed along.

The cheetah huffed, but there was no anger in it.

Judy also lied down, staring at the ceiling. "Okay, but you have to admit that Midnight was very kind."

Jackie raised a finger. "On that we can agree. She seems to be one of the more normal ones here."

"Yes…" The doe's voice became slightly distant. "Quite normal."

She didn't say anything else for quite a while, and neither did Jackie. They shared the silence, staring up.

"Hoppsy…" The feline's voice was unusually quiet.

"Yes?"

"... I don't want to die."

Judy closed her eyes, squeezing her paw into a fist. "... I know."

"If I am considering this offer… Does it make me... a bad police officer?"

The bunny recognized this voice. She heard it before in her head, trying to convince herself that she's not a failure as a member of the ZPD. A voice that desperately sought validation.

"No, it doesn't, Jackie." Judy did her best to sound soothing. "We are all afraid of something." She could hear a sound that could be a nod.

Silence embraced them again.

"Hey…"

Judy's ears picked up a shuffling sound, and she turned her head towards her friend. Jackie was now laying on her side, facing Judy. She was wearing a surprisingly unreadable expression, for a mammal so open with her emotions.

"What are you afraid of?" the cheetah asked.

"Me?"

Jackie nodded, staring directly into her eyes.

"I…" Judy slowly turned her gaze back to the ceiling. She hadn't given it much thought before. There were always so many things to do, and one didn't have the time to dwell on it. But… "I guess… losing someone important to me. Or… doing something extremely embarrassing."

"Like… stripping in front of the whole precinct?"

Judy's eyes widened before she let out a groan. "Thanks for putting that into my head!"

"You're welcome." Jackie smiled softly. "But…" She paused long enough for Judy to look at her again. "You're not afraid of death?"

The doe pondered for a moment. "I suppose I don't view it like that… Maybe that's because I'm a bunny?"

The cheetah raised a brow. "Bunnies are fearless?"

"No, no, nothing like that, it's… Hm… How to say this…" Judy scratched her head. "Okay. You know that we usually have huge families, right? I have a looot of siblings, but that also means a lot of elderly rabbits. For as long as I can remember, we always had someone passing away. An aunt, uncle, cousin… As little kids, we weren't part of the burial ceremonies, but that changes as you grow up. Sometimes you would stay behind and watch the little ones, sometimes you would go there. So, in some way, death was a frequent topic in my family. Not that we wanted it to be, it just… happened." She looked back at Jackie. "Maybe I'm just slightly used to it."

"Huh…" The feline shuffled a bit on the bed. "That's quite practical. Wish I had such resistance."

They dived into silence again.

Once more, Jackie was the one to break it. She rolled onto her back and spoke with a quiet voice. "When my mom died, I was a teenager..."

Judy's ears twitched gently.

"She was… crazy. That's how most friends and family called her. Name any extreme sport, she's done it. Living fast, always full of adrenaline, the complete opposite of my father." A grimace briefly appeared on her face. "Some mammals even said that she married him to have money for adventures. That she sold herself to have fun, they said."

The doe felt her chest tighten, but she said nothing.

"I've heard that she slowed down when she got pregnant. She would still go on travels whenever she could, but apparently, she never did a single dangerous thing while carrying me." Jackie let out a snort. "Hard to imagine, considering all the mad stuff I remember her doing, she could never sit in one place for five minutes."

Judy felt tears starting to well up in her eyes as her friend's voice began quivering.

"That day… There was an event. Family picnic, a few racing cars, demonstrations… My mom wanted to show me 'how to drive', so that I would know how to use my new Lamborghini..." Jackie stopped, and silence drowned the room.

It lasted a minute, maybe ten, Judy didn't count.

The cheetah took a deep breath. "I later heard that it was a malfunction. Something didn't work the way it should... So, yeah…"

"I'm so sorry…" The doe whispered.

With a silent wince, Jackie raised one arm to wipe her face. "We can die any day. So why not live life on the edge? If I don't do something today, I may very well not have a chance tomorrow."

This thought really hit the doe. Even with its tragic roots, this way of thinking certainly could bring a form of happiness. Carpe diem. Because tomorrow may never come. She felt a lump forming in her throat as she went back through the events of this day. The doe opened her mouth, but no words followed. She tried again, but her own emotions were blocking her tongue.

"I'm sorry, Jackie…" Judy muttered, staring at the bed sheets. "It's all my fault."

The cheetah eyed her for a moment. "Pardon me?"

The doe fidgeted with her fingers. "I dragged you into this. If not for me, you wou-"

"Oh, cut the crap!" Jackie huffed in irritation. "Nobody dragged me anywhere. I volunteered for this!"

Her friend stared at her, mouth open. "But… Tomorrow we might-"

"Die, yeah. Trust me, I didn't forget." Jackie pointed a finger at the bunny. "And, yeah, I'm not happy about that prospect, but it was my decision to get involved, so don't you get all selfishly guilty about it."

The doe stared at her wordlessly, only managing to mutter one word, "Sorry…"

"Uh, will you stop apologizing like that? It's seriously becoming tiring. Look… I was always like this, head-on into danger."

Judy summoned a weak smile. "I used to think that I am quite fast with what I do, but then I met you. You're like a squirrel on caffeine."

This got a small chuckle from her friend. "I guess… That's how cheetahs roll." She eyed the bunny. "So… what about our decision?

.

.

The day welcomed them in the exact same state as they left it yesterday. Jackie was still wounded, they were still in an assassin hideout, and they were set to meet with Alexander Volkov about their future.

None of those options were optimistic.

It strangely contrasted with the fact that they were given fresh clothes and there was a tray with breakfast waiting for them. Combined with the view of the sun rising at the edge of the city, it created an almost vacation-like atmosphere. Or it would if not for a little note on the tray, which said:

Vasily will be waiting outside.

Judy shook her head, having enough of the patronizing treatment. Right after that, she stomped towards the door and yanked it open. Indeed, Vasily was there, sitting by the corridors' wall with his swords beside him. He immediately became alert from the instant she opened the door.

"What is this?" the doe demanded, far too irritated to be rational. "Enjoy your last breakfast?" She pointed at their room.

At the same time, Jackie slumped through the doorway in her pajamas, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Like the painting? Uh, no… that was supper… Sorryyyy," she yawned, "not sure why we're talking art here?"

Judy folded her arms as the assassin stood up. "Because it looks like Mr. Bladepaw here was sent here as Michelangelo to observe our last meal."

Jackie's face expressed polite disconnection. "Who?"

Judy opened her mouth but didn't get to speak.

"Michelangelo. Famous renaissance artist." Vasily's voice drew their gazes like a magnet. "Most know for ceiling of Sistine Chapel and celebrate statue of David."

Judy gawked at the assassin, to which he reacted with a mocking smirk. However, she could always count on the cheetah to break the awkwardness.

"... I'm still sleeping. Since when did the freak slicer become an art encyclopedia?"

The doe turned to answer her and goggled. "Jackie!"

"Huh?"

Indeed, the feline officer was wearing her pajamas, but forgot to button up. In effect, she was giving an open view of the middle of her torso.

The bunny lunged to pull the pajama top together. This somehow sobered the cheetah up, and she held the piece of clothing on her own, shooting a glance at Vasily.

The assassin was wearing a neutral expression.

Judy shoved her friend back into the room and shut the door behind them.

"What… was that?" Jackie stared at the door.

Judy took a deep breath. "I don't know and I don't plan on finding out."

"Right." The cheetah slapped her cheeks and gave Judy a much more focused look. "Okay, so... we stick to the plan?"

.

.

After getting dressed, the officers ate their breakfast. Only then did they open the door again.

Vasily was still, leaning against the corridor's wall. "Master waits," he declared.

Jackie was doing her best to forget that he saw her fur and sighed. "I had hoped that my green mile would look different. Guess you can't have everything…"

"It'll be fine, Jackie." Judy reassured her friend and gently patted her paw.

Vasily nodded in the direction behind them. "Walk."

Once again, they used an elevator, though this time it took them quite far below. When the door finally opened, they saw a grey, concrete corridor that ran in three directions. Simple, dirty lamps provided light across the whole location, accompanied with pipes and thick bundles of cables.

Before they could observe more, Vasily muttered behind them, "Walk right."

The females did as they were told, marching through the lifeless passage. At a distance, they saw a mammal waiting for them. A grizzly bear with arms folded on his chest was standing next to an open door.

Before the officers even got there, Jackie flinched, freezing in place.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked immediately.

The feline scrunched her nose. "There's… dried-up blood in that room…" Her own drained from her face.

The doe's eyes widened, and she spun around to face Vasily, her ears almost vibrating from ire. "You-"

She met an iceberg-like gaze. "Walk."

Once again, Judy had to grind her teeth from helplessness. If she were alone, there was no way she'd allow this without a fight. However… She cast a brief glance at her wounded friend. The doe managed to suppress her anger and reanalyze the situation. Given all that had happened so far, there was no indication that Volkov would go back on his word. True, nobody would even know if he did, but if he wanted them dead, why all the charade with touring around the place?

Forcing herself to relax her posture, Judy gently held Jackie's paw. "Let's go. It's not over yet." She did her best to sound convincing but didn't look her friend in the eye.

They were guided inside and saw an empty, square room. The walls and floor were bare concrete, there was a single lamp on the middle of the ceiling, and the only piece of furniture was a very heavy-looking chair right under the lamp. But what actually caught Judy's attention was a drainage grid in the floor. At this distance, even she could sense the sharp smell coming from it.

"Good morning," Volkov gifted them with a small smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"What are we doing here?" Judy demanded.

"Why, discussing your decision," he replied, standing up from the chair. The females couldn't help noticing that the piece of furniture had restraints built into its solid frame.

The wolf settled both paws on his cane. "And to not waste any more time, what will it be?"

The officers exchanged glances.

"Just to be clear, if we agree to stay quiet about everything…" Jackie began.

"... then we are free to go unharmed, correct?" Judy pointed a finger at him.

"Of course. My word is my bond." The wolf placed a paw over his heart.

The doe cast one more glance towards her companion, and Jackie nodded slightly. Judy turned to the master of the assassins, with an increasing heartbeat. "... Fine. We accept your deal."

Her words made Volkov smile. "Splendid!"

Both females secretly breathed out.

"Then let us proceed to the next step." He clapped his paws.

The females froze.

A moment later, the very same grizzly bear entered the room. He was carrying something. The moment he approached the chair, both officers realized that it was actually someone, with a sack covering the mammal's face, along with a rope around the ankles and arms. The bear threw his baggage onto the chair and forcefully bound the mammal with restraints. Muffled cries came from under the sack, suggesting that this person has been gagged.

Jackie and Judy watched the brief scene, paralyzed with horror.

The bear was soon done and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

The bunny officer swallowed. "What is this…"

Volkov showed them a genteel smile and walked behind the chair, letting his cane hang off his forearm. "This," he dropped both paws on the shoulders of the bound mammal, making her jump, "is your freedom." Then he reached into his jacket. His paw returned, holding a combat knife.

Both females could feel their spines turning into ice.

"Now then, if you want to walk out of here alive, you only need to do one thing." The wolf's paw landed on the sack covered head. He gazed straight at the two officers.

"Kill this mammal."