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Savannah Central - Zootopia News Network Office Building - Corner of Elm and Birch Tuesday - 08:50 AM - Overcast Skies / Slight Rain

The familiar ZNN spire piercing the sky greeted her eyes as she rounded the bend of the nearest building. Trying to not limp as she held her stomach lightly, she did her best to not let her white blouse touch the reopened gashes. The last thing she needed was a dark stain of red seeping through her fabrics and inviting all sorts of unwanted questions. Her singular goal was to just get into the building, find her son, talk it out and leave. She didn't want complications.

Squinting at the harsh, reflective glare from the sleek window siding of the impressive structure, she entered through the twin sliding glass doors into the foyer, knowing just where she was going. She cringed as she heard the jovial voice of Andy Lagopus, who seemed to have a knack for knowing when she was in the building.

"Mrs. Wolford? Mrs. Wolford! How lovely to see you! Please, if you have a moment?" He called out, his pressed suit brimming with pride as it fell upon his tiny physique. His smile was contagious, but she did not have time to indulge in whatever frivolities he had in mind.

Without even turning her head in recognition, she hurried up the escalator to the second floor balcony and rushed towards the elevators. She had just turned around and pressed the button calling the carriage, getting in quickly as the doors opened. Her eyes darting out between the dual doors to see Andy's face, now with a bit more concern as it appeared he might not make the elevator. With a rush of relief and a satisfying whine on the other side of the closed doors, she leaned back against the railing of the elevator, looking out the wall window to soak in the breathtaking view of Zootopia as she rose up the floors.

Murana barely registered that she had reached her intended floor as the doors slid open, a few hyraxs ambling in, looking up at her curiously. Excusing herself hastily, she swiftly passed by them into the maze of cubicles. Traversing down the left side, she turned to the target destination to find the small space empty. Steven's hat and camera were gone. Not even his little vest he sometimes wore to keep warm on chill days was on the back of his seat. His scent wasn't even fresh in the cubicle, like he hadn't even bothered to come into work.

She sagged heavily on the dividing wall, its frame creaking under her weight. She groaned in agony as the stinging returned, her paw gingerly clutching her abdomen. Panting profusely, she focused on pushing through the pain and ignoring the screaming cuts from Javier the previous night. Curse that stupid cat! She should have been more cautious around him. She had completely forgotten about their instinctual flight or fight response. She was stupid.

Her nose twitched at the familiar scent wafting down the rows of workspaces. Her lip curled as she recognized it. The odor belonged to a specific maned wolf she had the displeasure of meeting the last time she was here. Ears flicking at the subtle shift in sound and cues, she could tell he had picked up her scent as well and was making a beeline straight for her position. It wasn't long before the knowing smirk came into view, complete with trademarked orange hoodie.

"Christopher was it?" She forced a smile, her memory not failing her. Doing her best, Murana straightened up to full height and looked down at the smaller maned wolf. "Do you know where Steven went?" She asked, trying to herd any superfluous banter.

The wolf casually leaned up against the divider, crossing both his arms and a leg as he looked at her indifferently. "Chris, actually. But yeah, that's me. Glad to know you at least remembered my name."

Murana shrugged, matching the wolf's blasé faire attitude. "It was the least I could do for one of my son's 'friends.'" She ended with specific emphasis on the final word, drawing an expected response from Chris, his ears folding back with irritation.

Doing his best to overlook her jab, "But no, I have not seen Steven. In fact, he hasn't been in all morning. He usually is pretty prompt at showing up to work. I was honestly hoping you could tell me more. Sometimes I really worry about that stinker."

Seeing his expression soften at his genuine concern for his coworker, she opened up a bit more. "That is a bit worrisome, yes. He didn't show up at our usual meeting spot at our favorite café."

His ears perked back up, "You meet with him daily?"

Murana shrugged, "More or less. We haven't been meeting as frequently as we used to, but I don't complain. As long as I get to see him once a week, I'm usually pretty content."

Chris cracked a small smile, "That's honestly really sweet." At a look from the larger wolf, "I'm being serious. I'm not trying to tease here. Look, I think I didn't make the best first impression yesterday. You just seemed to have rubbed a raw nerve and I lashed out. I apologize."

Sensing his sincerity, she responded in kind, "Well, you treating my son the way you did was doing you no favors." At a grunt from the maned wolf, she nodded before continuing, "Nevertheless, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. So you said Steven didn't even show up this morning to work?"

He scratched his chin absently, "Apparently. He usually is here a bit earlier than I am most days. He's pretty dedicated, that one."

"Of course he is. He's my son." Murana snorted, as if it was plainly obvious.

Chris gave her a curious look, "Well, he's almost always on the front lines, always going for that big scoop or story that'll get him on television." The wolf chuckled a bit, "Probably why he got promoted to video journalist recently. Granted, he probably would not have gotten as far as he has without his good pal, Chris, here to help him out!" He finished with a satisfied smirk, a thumb pointing at himself.

"Oh really?" She shared his mirth, but not necessarily the same intent. "Do tell."

"You mean he didn't tell you?" His grin broadened, "I'm the one out there pounding the streets and giving him the tips and info from my buddies in the hood. Places he's a bit too scared to go to and report on."

Murana raised a brow at his boasting, "The hood?"

"Yeah, I was raised on the rough side of the street growing up. Got involved in a few gangs, but ultimately got out of it and decided to make a name for myself here at ZNN." Chris shrugged it off like it was no big deal. "So now I just use my connections with some of my old pals who may still be working the rackets and underground gangs. In exchange for not ratting them out, they help give me valuable information on the really bad dudes in town, ones that nobody wants around because it's bad for business."

Murana rubbed her jaw a bit at this news. Was this where Steven was getting all these leads from? It would explain how Steven knew exactly where certain deals and meetings were going down all across Zootopia. Having an insider mammal would definitely be helpful. "So if you are so entrenched with these folks, why not use this information to your advantage and get the promotion yourself?" She questioned.

The maned wolf picked at a fresh scar on his forearm as he rolled the arm sleeve back down over it, "I'm not much for being famous myself. I prefer to stay out of the spotlight, but my buddy Steven? I feel like he's a little brother to me, you know? Gotta help the little guy out."

"So selfless of you." She remarked, hiding a smile. "Well, I've got to get going before Lagopus discovers where I'm at. It's been nice meeting you again."

"Hey, hold up!" He motioned with a paw, ensuring she stopped, turning towards him. "If you do find him, could you give him this lead I have? I know he's been following this string of assaults for a good while and is building quite the exciting serial rapist case."

Murana's ears rose with interest. "Exciting, huh? Well, I'll pass along the information as soon as I see him."

"Right then." Chris clicked his tongue and slipped into Steven's cubicle. He snatched a pad of sticky notes and took a pen out of his hoodie pocket. He hastily scrawled an address and time as well as a few names onto the small square sheet before tearing it from the stack and handing it to Murana. "This is the location of a pub he frequents, just on the east side of Tundra Town and the most common times of week he'll be boozing it up."

She studied the information with some surprise, "A sheep? Living in Tundra Town and accused of multiple rape cases? I'm surprised that the ZPD haven't gotten ahold of him yet. Quite the odd suspect."

"I know right?" Chris cackled. "But it is what it is. Hopefully he'll find this information useful and maybe it'll get that sheep that much closer to being caught when this story gets out!"

"Oh, you can bet on it." She nodded; a peculiar glint in her eye as she stuffed the sheet into her blouse pocket.

Chris began to sniff a bit more and looked down at her stomach. "Mrs. Wolford? Is...everything alright?"

Following his gaze, she beheld a small dark spot that had seeped through her undershirt and began its visible spread across her outer suit coat. She sputtered slightly as she excused herself, "Ah...if you'll excuse me, I do have to get going. Thanks for the information though! I will hand it to Steven the moment I see him. Later, Chris!"

He cocked his head oddly as he stared off after the larger, retreating wolf, unsure if he should follow to see if she was okay or not. At length, he shook his head, confident that he had passed on what he had intended and headed back down the rows of cubicles to his workstation.

Murana has just reached the elevators as the doors opened and greeting her was the sparkling visage of Andy Lagopus, his face brightening at her appearance. "Mrs. Wolford! So glad I finally caught up with you!"

"Shit!" She swore under her breath, just before she dove to the side and made a quick sprint to the stairwell just yards away.

The last thing she needed was a lengthy chat with the loquacious vulpine. She slammed the door open, hearing it bang against the concrete wall. Immediately vaulting over the railing, she aimed for the opposing side three floors down. She cried out as her injuries stretched open further, causing her to falter in mid-leap. She thumped against the railing, abdomen first, as her upper body curled around and gripped the metal tight.

"Mrs. Wolford? Oh, good heavens! Are you all right?" Came a voice high above, a silver fox looking over the center opening. "I'm going to call an ambulance right away! Why on earth would you do that?" He marveled with confusion.

"That's not necessary!" She gasped, fighting back tears as she scrambled over and onto the cold, tiled stairs. Rolling onto her back, she raised her head to look down at the widening spot diffusing across her middle. She let her head drop and took several deep breaths as she moaned in misery at her wounds. "That's not necessary..." She said again with a whisper.

With considerable effort, she rolled over onto her hands and knees and got herself back up onto her feet. She limped the rest of the way down the stairs, blessed that Andy had not followed her advice and went to call an ambulance anyway. She was just heading out one of the side emergency exits of the ZNN tower when the ambulance pulled up front. By the time they reached her blood trail in the stairwell, she was well on her way to her bank.

---

Savannah Central - Lemming Bros. Bank Corporate HQ - 44th Floor, Executive Offices Tuesday - 10:36 AM - Overcast Skies / Steady Rain

Murana stumbled out of the elevator, nearly bowling over several lemmings in the process. Some were staring with bulging eyes at the little droplets of crimson trailing after their hobbling boss, a few getting on their phones to take pictures for their TailChat accounts. Murana's mind was not on her appearance at this very moment, her singular goal was to get to her office where she could have access to a fresh pair of clothes and some medical supplies she kept tucked away for emergencies.

Gripping the handle of her office door, she stumbled in, the frame rattling as it bashed gratingly on the opaque glass wall looking out into the main working space. A small squeak emanated from beyond her desk as a pair of round spectacles rose up from behind the monitor of her laptop. Her secretary, Ron, had been typing away furiously on the computer before being interrupted. The first thing she noticed was a strange, intoxicating scent in the air, but that was the least of her concerns; she needed to get herself fixed up quickly.

"Oh, hi Boss!" Ron beamed happily, adjusting his glasses on his nose before pushing the chair away from the desk and hopping down cheerfully, waddling around it to greet her formally. He stopped in midstep as he detected her growing stain of cerise that had all but drenched the front of her blouse. "Holy anchovies! Boss! What happened? Are you all right?" He surged forward, his paw going into his pockets digging for some unseen object.

"Stop!" Murana raised a paw, warding him to stay where he was. "It's fine...I just got mugged by some low lives down by the local Snarlbucks. I'll be fine, just get me to the desk."

Ron raised an eyebrow as he slowly brought out a phone from his pocket, "Are you sure, Boss? You don't want me to call the ambulance?"

"Most definitely." She exhaled, collapsing onto the small otter, drawing a surprised squeak from him as the phone flung out of his paw and clattered to the ground. With considerable effort, he managed to help her to the desk as she literally crawled across the floor, her legs dragging along the carpet. "Thank you."

"Well, if you reconsider," The otter continued sighing, untangling himself from her arm as he moped over to his cellphone, a nice splintered crack across its surface, "we can get the paramedics here right away. You don't have to work in your condition, I can handle the bank today. You know what? I think I will do it anyway."

"No!" She practically yelled, a deep growl in her voice as her head pivoted to him with menace, causing him to stop his finger midway to the touch screen. She dropped an octave, "No, I have what I need here to fix myself."

Without another word and the curious otter looking on, she used the desk to limp around to where her chair was. She fell into it with another whimper, her hind paw hooking a claw into the desk drawer handle and pulling it open. She leaned forward and grabbed a few bits of thread and needle. She pulled out a small bottle of 150 proof vodka, its glass exterior clinking with other bottles of similar liquors. Without thought of propriety, Murana ripped open her blouse, revealing her bare chest and stomach beneath.

"Oh, oh my...!" Ron stuttered as he quickly flipped around. A flush hit his cheeks as he tried to look mighty interested at what was happening outside her office door, shooing away various lemmings that had stopped by to look in on their boss.

Ignoring the bashful proclamations of her secretary, she slammed a fist on the desk, shaking the monitor violently as she poured the alcohol on her reopened lesions. Gritting her teeth, she threaded the string through the needle head before tying a knot and biting off the excess. Panting hard at the exertion and pain, she shakily aimed the needle tip at the top of the first wound before diving it in through the flesh.

Several lemmings outside dropped their papers as an overheated printer exploded from misuse as Murana's howls echoed through the office. She began crying at the torture, but knew it needed to be done. Over and over, she strung the string through her skin, criss-crossing the thread to help force a tight seal when she pulled the two ends together, closing up each wound in turn. At long last, she snipped the last excess with some scissors from her desk before slumping into the chair, exhausted and tired.

Rocking back and forth on his heels, Ron was muttering softly to himself for a time until he noticed that her cries of torment had finally stopped. He dared a peek over his shoulder to see her drooping behind her desk, taking a huge chug from the bottle. "Boss? Is everything all right now? Is it safe for my virgin eyes to turn around?"

She snorted in response, setting the liquor down, "Please, Ron. Something tells me you've been around the block a few times."

He bristled at this comment, "I'll have you know..."

Putting another paw up, she stopped him, "I'd rather not know. Your declarations of purity aren't important right now and besides your eyes clearly aren't virgin anymore." She groaned with a half-hearted smile at her bad joke before lifting herself back up to sitting position, stripping the rest of her shirt and outer coat off, causing Ron to flip right back around. "Ron, I know I'm your boss, but stop being proper right now and go get me some new clothes. They're in the wall closet right over there." She indicated as she dabbed the fresh blood off her wound with her soiled clothes.

Noticing where she was pointing, he pushed his round glasses back up his face. "Ah, right. Of course."

He was unusually silent this morning, having been thrown completely off balance by the damaged appearance of Murana and the complete lack of modesty with regards to her situation. Not wasting any time, he walked over to the wooden paneling of the wall opposite the mounted television and felt around for the handle, pulling the sliding hidden door outward and revealing a row of hanging suits that she kept on hand in case of emergencies.

"Did you want the blue, beige, purple or green?" He called out, his nose deep in the fabrics to prevent having to view her naked torso.

"I don't care." She called back, swiftly doffing her ruined suit pants and kicking them over to the trash can next to the plant, almost making it in. "Just pick one and give it to me."

Randomly picking the purple, he climbed up onto the lower door mechanism to reach up high enough to pull the entire two-piece suit down, almost falling over from the sheer awkward weight of it. Pulling it along after his tail, he lifted it up for her to grab it from him as he turned away to maintain a sense of professionalism in what appeared to be a completely unprofessional situation.

"I know this probably wasn't what you expected when you woke up to drink your coffee this morning." Murana chuckled as she gratefully took the offered suit and began unbuttoning the front. She motioned with a finger for him to turn around, which he did without much prompting. "So, to help bring us back to normalcy, tell me what you've been up to this morning."

Thankful that he finally had something to occupy his mind, he began rattling off his day, "Well, if you remember from yesterday how we linked our offshore accounts and split the money between all the accounts? It seems we've recovered most, if not all, of our business investors overnight. I was in the process of divvying up the newly deposited money amongst the accounts and subtly moving the offshore funds back where they came from when you came in."

With pants and shirt on, she was finally looking more like her normal, CEO self. She stretched out her arms through the suit coat before buttoning the top button on the front. "Thank you for following through with that, Ron. Already in 24 hours, you've been more useful to me than Trudy had been in years." Her nose began to twitch again at the inebriating scent wafting through the air. "What is that smell?"

His eyes brightened up at this. "Ah, well I figured I could surprise you with a nice morning brunch, Boss!" He practically hopped up onto the desk, wobbling over to a big, white bag that she had somehow now noticed sitting on the corner. He reached down into the bag and pulled out a covered plate of food, the smell now permeating the entire office.

Murana cocked her head at the recognition of the scent, "Ron...that smells like chicken. Don't tell me..."

"It is!" He smiled triumphantly, lifting the lid off and revealing a succulent drumstick and breast piece, the steam barely visible rising from it.

Her look was less than approving as she took a step toward it, her tongue unconsciously licking her chaps. "There is only one place I know of that sells something like this and it isn't a place that most mammals go, Ron. Don't tell me you went...beneath the streets for this."

"To the Nocturnal District? Of course I did. You can't find a nice piece of meat like this on the open market in Zootopia, right? I figured as an appreciation gift for hiring me on such short notice and for the best boss I've had, you deserve a surprise!" He seemed positively proud of himself, almost raising a paw to his chest to grab his vest collar, if he had one.

Situating herself back down at her desk, she eyed the chicken with obvious interest, "First off, it is very dangerous down there. The last thing I need is my freshly minted secretary to have some unfortunate death befall him while getting me this extravagant meal. Second, this is quite the illegal form of meat to be eating in public."

Ron's ears wilted as his shoulders sagged, "You don't like it?"

She raised a finger to silence his disappointment, "I'm just not liking the methods and location where you might have gotten this. How did you know about how to even get this?"

"How did you?" He riposted back without hesitation.

"Touché." She raised an eyebrow before pulling the meat towards her, lust evident in her eyes. She stopped briefly, her eyes glancing over at the open office door. "Ah, would you mind closing my office? I'd rather not have my workers get the wrong idea about me. The next thing I know, they'll be spreading picturegrams of me photoshopped eating their friends and family. They're afraid of me enough as it is. Let's not add more fuel to the fire, shall we?"

"On it, Boss!" He was a bit giddy, very eager to shut the door, nearly tripping over his webbed paws as he made his way across the room.

Murana was ecstatic, she hadn't set foot in the Nocturnal District in years; some rather unsavory events transpired that she had no incentive to return to anytime soon in that district. It was a known ordinance in Zootopia that most types of meat were prohibited outside of fish, bugs and other synthesized products. She had all but given up ever going back to one of her places of youth and enjoying the forbidden fruit, as it were.

She drew in a deep breath, letting the scent infiltrate her nostrils, just as she scrunched them up upon seeing the crusted, seasoned skin of the chicken. "Ron, do you like the skin of chicken?"

"The skin? It's almost like a guilty pleasure of mine." He smacked his hands together on a job well done of closing the door, walking back to her with a pleased look.

"Good." She said flatly, ripping the slim casing off the breast and drumstick before handing it off to him. "I rather dislike it. Something about its texture gives me the shivers."

"Oh..." His ears dropped again after being handed the sagging husks of skin. "I'm actually not fond of this type of seasoning they used, a bit too spicy for my tastes. May I?" He started towards the trash can with her discarded suit pants.

She shook her head, nodding instead to the bag on her desk top. "Just pop it in the bag if you don't want it. Thank you though." She lifted the drumstick to her mouth and took a bite, her eyes rolling back in her head as she moaned with pleasure, "This is heavenly."

An odd mixture of smile and frustration flashed across Ron's face, "I'm glad you like it, Murana. Care for something to drink?"

"Okay, now I'm starting to think you're buttering me up for a promotion already." She barked a laugh. "Look, I appreciate all this pampering, especially after having seen me come into work like that, but this is not going to get you any brownie points with me. You still need to do a good day's work every day for a long time to come before your first evaluation period."

The grin came back on his face, "I wouldn't dream of that, Boss. I know full well my performance matters more than my gestures of goodwill. Give me a moment, I'll be back with your drink."

She bowed her head in agreement as he moseyed off to get her mug, opening and shutting the door behind him as he sauntered over to the coffee pot. With no one watching and her stomach growling something fierce, she threw caution to the wind and began devouring the remaining chicken without thought for manners. Leaning back in her chair, she was content with her belly full. She had almost nodded off to sleep when she was jolted by Ron's entrance holding a stack of papers in one paw and a hot, steaming cup in the other.

Murana's face nearly sagged as she saw the huge pile of documents in Ron's paw. "Was that all from yesterday?"

He confirmed with a nod of his head, "Indeed it was, Boss. There was a lot of money transfers and relocation of assets to make it work. Now is the time to back it all up with a paper trail so that it looks like it came from your desk that it was approved."

"Do I need to sign every page?" Her ears drooped further.

His expression did change to one of empathy for her plight, "You are the boss. Unless you give me the power to sign these in your name, this all has to come from you."

Gripping the stack with a shaky paw, she let it flop onto her desk with an audible thud. Resigned to her fate for the rest of the day, she flipped out a pen and clicked it open. She was moving to sign the first page when she saw Ron set a steaming cup next to her. "What's this?" She asked, noticing that it wasn't her usual mug.

"Just a small present that I felt would brighten your day!" He looked pleased.

She picked it up and turned it around, reading the words: '#1 Boss!' She raised a brow at him, "You are really determined on this brown nosing, aren't you? Thank you for the thought, but this doesn't score you any extra points for a raise."

"I know, but did it make you smile at least?" He pressed.

Unable to contain the smirk, she grinned as she brought the mug up to her muzzle, breathing in the fresh scent. She stopped as it touched her lips, Ron watching on with interest at seeing her enjoying his gift. Pulling it back, she stared at the liquid, "Ron, what is this?"

"It's tea! One of my favorite brands too! Earl Grey black tea. It is bold, yet subtle. The perfect pick-me-up in the mornings after a rough sleep! I felt you could use the pep up." He explained, paws clasped behind his back.

Her snout wrinkling, she stood up and walked over to the lone plant in the room before flipping the mug over and dumping its contents into the dirt. "For someone who says he likes to know whom he works for, you sure didn't research enough. I prefer coffee over tea leaves and water."

"Oh...my apologies then. I wasn't aware of your strong distaste for tea." Ron looked genuinely hurt by her disgust for his favorite drink.

"No matter." She said matter-of-factly, sitting back down in her chair and setting the mug aside. "I do appreciate the mug and if it'll make you feel any better, I'll continue to use this mug for the future, all right?" With a gloomy nod from the otter, she revitalized her demeanor and handed the laptop over to him. "Please continue with the asset relocations and let's get everything back in the offshore accounts by the end of today, if we can."

"I'm on it, Boss." Ron responded, maintaining a happy face yet still not overly thrilled with how his morning presents turned out.

Settling into a rhythm, she listened to Ron tapping away on the keyboard as she took one page at a time and signed off each money transfer. She was used to signing paperwork for certain transactions, but never on this scale before. Trudy truly did do a horrible number on her bank. This level of legality was unprecedented and it annoyed her greatly. There had to be a way to automate all this in the future and she was determined to set her freshly hired secretary to figuring out a way of solving this problem.

Bored after about several dozen sheets, she flipped on the flat panel TV to the local news channel. Peter and Fabienne at their usual positions were reporting on the local stories of the day. Ron looked up briefly before continuing his task, the television nothing more than background noise. Several more minutes passed by in silence before Murana's ears perked up at a specific story that had come up on the news.

"And in a shocking development last night," the female snow leopard began, "the notorious criminal gang leader of the Felicity Firmament is in critical condition today as he was attacked during a drug bust late last night in Happytown. It is being reported that the ring leader, Javier Sanchez, was nearly burned alive by what is told to be a nighttime vigilante. He is alive at this moment and is in intensive care at Mercy Hospital. We'll follow with more words as the situation develops and the investigation continues."

The topic shifted to something less interesting, but it was enough to concern Murana greatly. She continued to sign the papers, not really noticing that her hind paw was tapping with increasing urgency on the carpet. Thoughts swirled through her head about Javier. That fox cop actually managed to put out her fire on the ocelot, quick enough to save the wretched cat's life. Her job remained unfinished and he was still alive, in intensive care and most likely under guard and surveillance. This was going to make things far more difficult.

Deciding on a course of action, she snapped her fingers, motioning with a paw for the laptop. "Ron, give me the computer, I need to type up something real quick please."

"Of course, Boss. Anything you need." He said quizzically, curious as to what she had in mind.

With intensity, she whipped up an official-looking document using a pre-existing template. She sent it off to the printer out in the main, lemming cubicle farm. Sweeping past Ron, she left the room and came back quickly with a lone sheet of paper in her paw. Signing it quickly, she handed it over to him. He gave it a once over, his countenance growing dim with each passing word read.

He looked up at her from the floor, "Boss? You're giving me ability to sign in your name?"

"Yep!" She smiled broadly, showing her row of teeth. "You said it yourself, that brilliant idea! Thank you so much! You've been extremely useful as a secretary. Keep up this pace and you just might get that raise sooner rather than later!"

She turned to leave but he called out, "Wait! Are you going to be coming back later on today?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she looked down at her secretary, "Not sure just yet. I do have a lot of errands to run and there is no telling how long each of those will take. So to be on the safe side, just continue working like you won't see me again until tomorrow morning." She waved before heading towards the door, turning around briefly to look at him. "Thanks again, Ron, for the brunch this morning. It was very delicious. Just don't...do that again without me accompanying you. I'd rather you not get hurt on my behalf in that neighborhood. I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself." She grinned before leaving, her tail swishing behind her.

"You're welcome, Boss." Ron murmured, his tail thumping on the floor. Frustrated, he looked up at the huge stack of papers awaiting on him. "Oh, screw me up the bass. This is going to be a long day." He exhaled, defeated.

---

Savannah Central - The Fox Den on Roaring St. - Against the Tundratown Border Wall Tuesday - 12:02 PM - Overcast Skies

Murana was thankful that the drizzle had stopped by the time she left her bank. With her supplies and tech running a bit low back at the homestead along with her vigilante suit being damaged on top of that, she needed to restock and recoup from her losses before handling Javier. The noon time lunch rush was in full force as she bumped and jostled her way across downtown towards the northern border wall that led into Tundratown. Sewing up her injuries helped tremendously in staving off the pain as she sped through the foot traffic.

The buildings on the northeast side weren't as shiny or as inviting as those in the city center just a mere stone's throw away, but they were still a far cry better than anything found in Happytown. There was far less debris and cracks in the pavement and sidewalks as the crowd thinned the further she got into the suburbs of Savannah; too small and too close to downtown to be registered as its own district, but too big to be referred to as anything else. The ratio of prey to predator became wide as tigers, foxes, wolves and more could be spotted slumming it on the sidelines, leaning up against rundown fencing, puffing on cigarettes and giving her leering stares.

Her goal was fixed straight ahead of her. A rather squat building butted up against the monumental wall bordering the next district over, the clear, chill frost visible in the air just beyond it. The brick and mortar façade was nothing to write home about, but for those who were privy to its interior, it was home to one of the hottest, unadvertised night clubs in Zootopia, The Fox Den. Primarily a predator-only establishment, it wasn't unheard of to see the occasional prey looking to experience a wilder side of nightlife.

A large, giraffe-printed truck was parked on the curb just outside the establishment, the back sliding door rolled up revealing rows of beer cartons. She smiled as she saw a familiar figure backing up down the metal ramp, two heavy crates in his arms. He was a fox, but unlike any she had ever met in her life. He was slightly taller than most foxes in Zootopia, nearly matching her size despite being the runt of the litter. With a primarily orange coat and white-furred front, he had a unique pattern of brown that encompassed his entire right ear and left hind paw and just the tip of his left ear.

Murana shook her head as she followed him into the building at a distance, watching him bop and groove to the headphones perched on his head. It was definitely a newer model, but the same old fashion style that he always wore. The vulpine sported a gaudy, red and black, plaid button-up shirt and a nice set of beige cargo pants. She had to admit, he had certainly beefed up since last she saw him; his shirt open down the middle revealing his six-pack abs and brown chevrons gracing his abdomen. For a fox at least, he was quite the specimen now.

The club was the same as before, nothing really had changed since she last set foot into the place. The bar and counter on the left held the same liquors as it did a decade ago, the stools before it carrying the same creases and holes in the upholstery. The huge rave dance floor lay bare and empty with perhaps a new coat of polished tile instead of the vinyl that once adorned it. Multiple seating and private booths lined the curving wall to the far edge of the dance space, each sheltered by a curtain one could draw closed. Then there was the DJ block up at the podium overlooking the floor and rave cages hanging from the ceiling. Beyond that led to the secret club rooms where less reputable things would happen.

Bathed in neon blue and pink lighting lining the trey ceiling covering the expanse of the dance floor, Murana followed that white-tipped tail all the way past the main business area and into the back store rooms. She trailed after the clinking sound of bottles, ending at last to the cooler door, pressure-sealed to keep the chill air in and the booze cold. She couldn't help but admire the swaying rump of the fox, watching it flick it back and forth in tune to whatever music was going on through his headphones.

Having settled the current crates of alcohol, the vulpine hit a rather egregious set of beats as he backed himself out of the fridge room, bopping his bum in rhythmic fashion. Murana shifted to the side to let him pass, but he suddenly swiveled backwards down the hall and bumped his tail right up against her front. His eyes closed and lost in the music, he spun around, grabbed her hips and began grinding against her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"AJ, stop. Stop! Stop! Stop!" She tried pushing him away before batting at the headphones, knocking them off his ears and causing them to slip midway down his neck.

"What the hell, Cynth-, oh, Murana! What are you? Why are you? How are you doing?" He said, trying to recover, his anger dissipating the moment he saw who stood before him. Realizing where his hands and hips were, he let go and backed up several paces.

"What's the matter, fox? I've never seen you that speechless before. Cat got your tongue?" She simpered.

He guffawed, "Hardly. I haven't dated one of them in a long while." After a curious stare from Murana, he cleared his throat and scratched his head. "So how you been? It's been forever."

"It has." She managed to smile, shaking her head. "Seems like little has changed here."

"Well, I've changed. I'm hurt you didn't notice." AJ seemed mock offended, doing a not-so-subtle flex of his newly formed muscles. He only stood about a head shorter than Murana, abnormally tall for his species, but he was a bit more decked out in rippling biceps and well-formed pecs easily seen through his unbuttoned shirt.

"Oh, I noticed. Kind of hard to miss such a beefcake like you." She snarked, turned around to walk down the hall, forcing him to walk alongside.

"You like?" He flexed some more beside her, adjusting his headset around his neck. "Been working on my form. You should come to the gym sometime with me, you might like what you see."

"Really? I almost assumed you were compensating for the last time I laid the smackdown on you during an arm wrestling match." She threw back without hesitation, keeping her grin.

"Babe, I had yet to hit my prime. I'm in the peak of my life now, something you've clearly passed." He chuckled at his own joke. His expression dropped the moment he saw her stare at him. "Ah...look, I didn't mean-"

"Yeah, you did. I'm old by your standards, I know it. You were just hitting 20 and I was some hot, older female that was available and willing to enjoy some younger tail. Now that I've passed my prime and you've moved on, I'm no longer desirable." She folded her arms and glared at him, her tail fidgeting angrily.

"It was a bad joke. I really didn't mean it like that. You are still desirable to me." AJ tried to recover.

Shrugging, she dropped her arms and kept walking. "I don't know why I felt saying hi to you again was a good idea. I should have just went about my business and went straight to Billy."

"Billy? I thought you had stopped seeing him a while ago. Thought you had dropped all that...nighttime business." He paused, as they turned the corner into the main client space, overlooking the DJ stand.

She stopped to look at him, "You know that isn't true. You've watched the news."

"That I have." His face showing genuine concern. "You know I still care about you, always will. I worry about what you do at night. That one day I'll see your body on the news, abandoned in some gutter."

"All the more reason for me to see Billy." She explained. "To get the things I need to keep me alive while I do my job."

"Your job is at a bank, Murana." He circled back around in front of her, placing a paw on each of her shoulders. "Not out there hunting down criminals."

"It is what I need to do, AJ." She sifted out his grip and moved to the DJ block, placing a paw on the turntable.

He stepped up behind her, "Then why not come more often? If his talents and skills can help keep you alive out there, why not come visit more than you have? I've not seen you in years."

She tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, "Too many memories here, AJ. Too many to come back to."

This time, he placed his paws on her hips and drew close, letting his warmth seep into her back. "Then why don't we make new memories, Murana. Right here and now. Don't you remember all the good times we had here, right in this very spot while everyone else was obliviously high on booze and music?"

She allowed herself to sink into his embrace, enjoying the moment like the long years between were nothing. It would be so easy to just ignore the world and her responsibilities and just let AJ take her away to blissful ignorance. She took a deep breath and returned to reality. Shaking out of her reverie, she stepped away from him and gave a mournful smile, "They were good times, but they can't return, AJ. I'm married now and have a kid, haven't you heard?"

With a goofy look, he leaned on the turntable admiring her body, "So? That just makes you one hot MILF."

Sighing with tolerance, she gave him a look, "You forgot the fact I'm married."

He waved a paw in the air like it was a trivial nuisance, "Ah, details. So," he clapped his paws together, "did you want something to drink before you see Billy?"

She considered it a moment before inclining her head in agreement, "Why not? Lead the way."

"Great!" He whooped, boosting off the DJ block and giving her some finger guns before skipping off to the bar. "I must say, you are smoking in that purple. You've always had good taste, Murana."

"Thanks." She blushed. Even if she had made vows to Anthony, it still felt nice to feel appreciated for the female she was. Despite this, she knew to be careful around AJ. He had a wily way about him that lured many an unsuspecting female to his sheets. She wrapped a leg over a stool and scooted up to the counter before pointing at a bottle, "I'll have a tequila sunrise, please."

"Mhmm! That was always your favorite, babe!" AJ jived, rocking his hips back and forth as he turned the volume up on his headset around his neck. "If you see anything you like, feel free to call it out and I'll get it for you." He hollered back as he was mixing her drink, making extremely sure his gyrating hips were in full view and on display. "Seriously, Murana...anything at all." He chortled, doing some hip thrusts as he set the drink in front of her.

She took a swig before entertaining his mirth, "As world-shattering a time as it would be, I'm loyal to Anthony. I'm not going to leave him."

He leaned over the counter before rolling across it onto his back, looking up at her upside-down, "I know, but it doesn't hurt to try." He pawed at her playfully as she took another sip.

"What are you doing, AJ?" She looked at him bemused.

He pawed some more, "Being cute." He flipped back over right-side up. "Why? Is it working?" He flashed his teeth.

She snorted before downing the rest of the liquor. "Same old AJ. So how's business these days?"

He flopped back onto the bar as he looked bummed, "The usual. Fridays and Sundays seem to be our peak nights. Had a lot of good, new, fresh clientele come through here recently. I feel we might be finally appealing to the prey crowd. Many of the predator customers are going out and spreading the word of how friendly we are to all patrons. Because of this, I think I'll finally be able to pay off the mortgage on this building left to me by the previous owner later this year."

She reached out a paw over his, "That's wonderful, AJ. I'm happy your business is working out for you."

"And I'm glad you found someone that makes you happy." He returned with some regret in his voice.

"Yeah...well..." She began, but dropped the conversation. There was nothing more to say. They regarded each other for a time, enjoying the quiet moment together.

After a period of awkward silence, he pulled his paw away and coughed. "So, guess you need to get going and check in with Billy, right?"

"Right." She confirmed, getting up and walking behind the counter. "It was nice seeing you again, AJ."

He smiled weakly, "Of course." He squatted down and heaved on a metal loop linked to a wooden door hatch, covered surreptitiously by a mat to ease the strain on one's hind paws while standing for long periods of time. "And Murana?" She made a curious noise as she was halfway down the ladder leading below. "The fox will always sniff out the den that gives him the most comfort."

She held his gaze for a long time, "I know..."

Murana sniffed before resuming her descent and vanishing out of sight. He sat there looking down into the dim darkness before leaning up against the counter, reaching into his pocket and bringing out a small, black box he had kept on his person all these years. He couldn't remember later how long he had stared at it.