Chapter 12
Mr. Big's POV
It still hurts sometimes, most times actually. Foolish of me to think that revenge would solve everything, now my enemies are defeated, and the ruffians that killed my daughter and the ones above them are gone while my empire is larger than ever. Yet none of that has brought my Fru Fru back, and I would gladly give all away in exchange of seeing her sweet face one more time.
I am surprised that after she died the world kept spinning, here I am, torn in a million pieces while mammals around me move on with their lives. And before I realized it so did I, the business didn't crumble instead it got much bigger, the family wasn't broken it just got stronger. But even those that barely knew my Fru Fru see something has changed in this world, it got meaner, darker and crueler in the blink of an eye. She was the warmest and nicest mammal in the whole world, she brought light into this cold ancient manor, and nothing will make things the way they used to be.
But light will come, not as bright as before but warm enough to stave off this morbid cold. Decades ago the founder of the Tundratown family built an empire on violence and counterfeit alcohol, the prohibition times brought a large surge of crime, so large that it had to be organized and ruled over.
In the underworld this pioneer is revered as a saint, since most criminals know they are not in good terms with the deities above, they chose to pray to one of their own. His name was Albert Canidone, an arctic wolf. His beautiful wife, a black ewe named Alice Sheperd, is credited with the moral code the family still upholds to this day. Both created an entire empire out of illegal substances and their own blood, sweat and tears.
So when Nick came up with his tail literally between his legs asking me to spare a cute bunny he met the night before, most comrades couldn't help feeling somewhat thrilled about the prospect of another prey-pred couple working for us. What the new members don't know is that I was already planning to hire Judy as a hitmammal long before Nick made a deal for her, she was smart brave and resourceful. Her current position of power doesn't surprise me. But I didn't want to drag an honest mammal into the underworld unless it was what they asked, had she not been so proud and told me about her problem I would have helped her with the loan shark a long time ago, for a price of course.
Nick on the other paw, I have always liked him. He had everything he needed to be successful, was smart and cunning, and possessed an ability to read mammals that could have been mistaken for psychic. But what he lacked was ambition; he was so proud of being independent he ended up enslaving himself to the streets without even noticing, that fox had grown used to scrape by living day to day. So when he was smitten by Judy I used it to force some initiative into his stubborn head, now look at him, a true mafia boss on his own right.
For us, the union between a canide and its natural prey has a spiritual meaning, it would be a return to form, and that's why it is so important for us that their marriage goes perfectly.
And for that to happen there is one little issue I have to settle up.
My office is cold as always, my trusted comrades stay behind my desk, at my side there is a portrait of my little girl next to the one of grandmamma. In front of my desk there are two bunnies, poor country folk that have no idea of what they have gotten themselves into.
-"Mr. Big, we came here for our daughter Judy. We were told that she works for your enterprise but we think it's best if she comes back to the farm with us, this place is not good for a doe like her"- The male, a buck named Stuart tells me determined even when his nose twitches in fear. He is overly aware of the polar bears behind me and what they are capable of, it takes a lot of courage to confront me like this, and I respect that.
-"Judy has adapted quite well into our family, she is very happy here, in fact she is going to marry in a few weeks"- I say calmly, I know that won't dissuade them but I want to keep things civilized for as long as possible.
The couple in front of me winces and a few tears fall from the wife's eyes.
-"She's going to marry a fox"- Bonnie says crying.
-"Is that a problem?"- I say a bit more forcefully than I would like, speciesm is almost understandable in the ignorant culture of the countryside but it is not tolerated in my manor.
The doe leans forward so suddenly Yuri almost grabs her in an attempt to defend me, I raise my paw ordering him to stay back, all this bunny wants is to place her front paws as close to me as possible and bow her head, she doesn't want to attack me she is just begging.
-"Please Mr. Big, leave my Judy alone. I beg you! She is only a young bunny you don't need someone like her in your…"- She struggles to find the right words –"Business, we can give all the produce you want for free for the rest of our lives! But please, please let us get our daughter home"-
Poor bunnies, they spent the entire summer waiting for their sweet baby girl to come back from the big city, tired of her excuses they chose to take things into their paws and rode into Zootopia. I commend their detective work; it only took them five days to find her… and us. Judy explained them that she was engaged to a fox that she was in love with, and that she was very happy in Tundratown, but for mammals like the Hopps the thought of one of their kits becoming mobsters must be hard to process.
Now I am in a bit of a pickle, usually when I have a meeting with another mammal either we reach an agreement or they reach their maker after a good swim in the arctic waters. But, alas, icing them is not an option and they seem too stubborn to accept my reasoning. I could not into my good conscience kill a couple of mammals who only want the best for their family, the world of the underground stays in the underground, we do not go after the ones that live outside and follow the rules. Besides look at them, that couple is so quaint they look like they came out of a wholesome country inspired painting, my comrades wouldn't have the heart to ice such adorable bunnies anyway. So what can I do? I guess I have to shove a good dose of reality down their heads, I cannot kill them but I certainly can kill their illusions.
-"Be careful ma'am, that kind of deals are the ones responsible for your daughter's current situation. It was your debt what caused her to seek work in one of my restaurants, and when you called her asking for help when the debt became too big, how did you expect her to find the money?"- I see their ears drooping and guilt strikes their faces, I don't enjoy what I have to do now, bringing bad news to good mammals is never easy.
–"She saw no choice but to seek work as a prostitute for one of my clubs, but she was very lucky, her first and only client became her lover and soon he will be her husband. She is the most puritan prostitute I have ever met"- I ad with an amused smile, I hear Yuri and Koslov chuckling behind me.
–"Today she rules by Nick's side, not as his wife but as an equal on one of the most prominent districts in Zootopia. Instead of trying to drag her to her previous home you should support her in her new one, she is part of MY family now, either you walk away and let her be or join us. Think about it, do you really want Judy to walk to the isle by herself?"- I ask warmly, maybe I can get to them through love instead of fear. Just in case I use a little of both, my voice turns menacing as I utter the last sentence of my solid argument.
–"Let me warn you that my family is bigger and more powerful than yours, but there is always room for more, loose a daughter or gain a clan, your choice"-
After much crying and arguing Mr. and Mrs. Hopps agree on letting her stay, well actually they are still unhappy for the way things turned out, but at least they understand that there's nothing they can do about it.
…
The wedding is perfect, and that is the way it has to be, few understand the significance of this celebration but for me this is paramount. My old shrew heart knows this might be more meaningful to me than to the bride or groom, but unions of this caliber also have some much needed political values. It is a matter of time before the Tundratown family separates again, if only for convenience. All the minor bosses insist on living in their respective turfs, managing the intricacies of a criminal empire is hard enough without being far from their territory, when I force them to live under my roof I admit I am jeopardizing their grip on their districts. But I fear they are not ready to be on their own, and while none of them have any problem giving a piece of their earnings to the main manor, sooner or later they will realize that the best course of action is to form separate families again. And then it will be more of the same, there will be five families running their own turfs, but itching to gain more power. And one day, maybe the next year or the next century, another mob war will break out.
So for now I'll do my best to keep all my comrades together, who knows maybe a unified leadership is unlikely but not impossible. To make things worse as the war comes to an end the stamina of revenge that fueled me is running out, now old age is creeping over me once again, and I don't know if I'll pass the next winter. If I passed to another life at least I can say I did what was right, even when the authorities don't see it that way. In the meantime wait for me my little girl, and tell grandmamma to have the canolis ready.
But today, I put those fears behind me. I have to commend the Ottertons for their dedicated work. Today the great hall at the top of the manor is clean and fresh, the cobwebs of it abandonment have been scrubbed away. Countless aromatic flowers flood every corner of the ballroom and every piece of crystal, from the chandeliers to the windows, shine and sparkle at the muted sun. Autumn weddings sure are lovely; they remind me of my own so many years ago, but that my friends it's a story for another time.
Our manor is finally alive with thousands of individuals running around and celebrating. The family is smiling once more, even me, that is something I thought would never happen again.
The atmosphere is so bright and festive, a lot of it comes from the swarm of adorable bunny kits playing on the manor, the Hopps are a lot like us they stay together no matter what. So now the entire family, with its over five hundred members have come to the wedding, even when most of them don't agree on having one of their own married to a fox.
For the first time in decades the manor is overcrowded. That means we have many more mammals for possible employment, if they want to work the land and stay away from the underworld that is a decision I can respect. Yet I can't help but notice that many of Judy's siblings could be as strong and capable as she is, and I can see a glint of ambition in the eyes of a few of them, either way our doors will always be open for business.
Through the large windows I see Koslov and Yuri playing with the bunny kits on the gardens below, they are covered by the sweet little fluff balls as they twirl around aimlessly on the snow, I have never seen them look so happy.
The time has come, the isle had to be placed outside near the edges of the frozen lake, otherwise it would be impossible for all mammals present to witness the vows, and neither of the two now joined families would ever leave one of their members behind.
The groom fidgets in his side of the isle, his best man, a small fennec fox keeps telling him to "be cool" (this kits and their modern language or "slang" as they seem to call it). To the unobservant eye he might seem saddled with a case of cold feet and ready to bolt, Stu and Bonnie sure think so and I don't know if they dread it or hope for it. But we know he had been very invested in making everything perfect for his mate, the problem is he is afraid something might happen, or that an enemy would try to strike us while we are distracted. That, I'm afraid is the fear a mobster must live with for the rest of his or her life, that a single moment of happiness can easily turn into tragedy. We in the underworld are one mistake away from getting killed, or what is much worse, seeing our loved one die. It is a risk we take every day and every night, I know from experience how awful that can be.
And here comes the bride, she wears a Furra Wang silk white dress, one of the most beautiful and exclusive designs ever created. The family insisted a turf boss like her should only wear the best. On top of the dress she wears a pure mink white coat, several of our comrades and their families were happy to donate for its hair, her purple eyes shine with unshed tears of happiness as she takes her place by the jittery groom.
How treacherous time can be, you spend weeks, months or years waiting and preparing for something. Maybe it's a brutal revenge, or maybe it's a beautiful wedding, you hone your expectation about it and when that precious moment happens, it goes by so fast you could barely grasp it in your mind. Today time as sped up to its limits, because I swear I just blinked after the vows and now the moon is fading away, a new dawn is coming and the party is dying down.
The happy couple has retreated hours ago, too eager to star their honeymoon, sadly they will have to spend it in the Savannah because business have to be conducted and it is true that crime never takes a vacation.
We work harder than any mammal could ever know, we will defend our comrades through our dying breaths and we will crush any enemy or traitor that dares to cross our path.
We are the Tundratown mafia, and as of today, we rule Zootopia.
…
THE END.
Author's note: So this is it then, the story has come to its end. I did my best to tie up as many loose ends as I could. A special thanks to Lockdown 00 for coming up with the original idea. To all my readers and reviews I am very grateful the support has been amazing. Now some readers like Cemsay and a few guests (thank you for your continuous support) didn't seem so happy that the story is over, so if any of you are reading this and are interested in a possible sequel please read on, I have a proposition for you
So I think this universe might be worth more exploring, I would like to do a sequel. But at the same time I don't want to do a sequel nobody really wants, because it could taint the original.
This is the proposition I have for you, my dear readers. I will give you an idea of what the sequel would be like and you can choose if it's worth doing or not.
1 Nick and Judy are good mammals, but as mobsters and assassins they would fit more as "villains" than heroes, so I came up with a concept where they are the actual "villains" and two heroes are hired to bring them down, those "heroes" would be Jack Savage and Skye Frost from the ZIA.
2 the idea would be to portray truly empathetic villains (that are not bad guys) that do good breaking the rules and heroes with good intentions that might do harm by following them blindly.
3 It is probable that the story will be more focused in Jack and Skye because A, they would be the heroes and B, they need character development.
4 I would try to steer away the ZIA plot from the typical Bond movies, I would like to portray the agency in a more realistic and less flattering light. On this point I don't make any promises.
Now you have an idea of what the story would be like, and it is up to all of you if I write it or not.
If you want me to write the story please send me a review with the word YES, and I will try to post it in the next weeks.
But if you don't like the idea of this sequel please send me a review with the word NO, and if there isn't much interest in this story I will move on to a different one that has nothing to do with this alter universe. Be confident that if you say no I won't be offended in the least, just because you liked this story doesn't mean you would like the next one, that is why I am asking.
So once again, thank you all so much for your support, and either way you will keep seeing my work soon enough.
Yours truly: La perla's mermaid.
As an update I'm supposed to do a poll on my profile instead of reviews so I'd you are interested enter my profile and choose either yes or no or send me a PM