FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 16

"Breaking point"

ACT 1

(Fallout 2 Soundtrack - City of Lost Angels)

"IT DOESN'T OPEN!" Dion yelled in panic, banging the metallic door in utter darkness.

"I swear I heard someone breaking the lock system from the other side, I know it!" Ryan yelled, trying to tinker with the mechanism for the door, kneeled down and showing light with his pip-boy.

"But who on earth would do that and why?" Amir asked, clearly worried out of his mind as well.

"... I don't know but I am scared!" Dion yelled, trying to bang the door and kept yelling for help once again.

"Shhh! Get a grip, brother! We are going to get out of here before long, but it will take some time. I'm sure I can bypass this whole door." Ryan muttered, getting annoyed by Dion banging the metal loudly.

"... H-how? Since when did you know how to tinker locks on doors? Help!" Dion kept yelling, banging the entrance once more.

Ryan winced once again and hissed at Dion.

"CAN YOU STOP? NO ONE WILL HEAR US! These doors are thicker at this level of the vault, no one will hear you yelling. I'm trying to focus on this lock."

"but there is no way you can open it! Someone locked us in, which means that someone doesn't want us to get out! So yelling is the best chance we got in case someone walks by!" Dion yelled, rather frustrated at Ryan for trying to make him tone it down.

Ryan now shook his head and spoke annoyedly.

"Dion, this is a maintenance deck! Everyone is right now held up in their residences because of what went down. No one will be here. And I have been opening locks like this since I was young. Not that I've demonstrated such talent for you since you would be too pussy to break into anywhere with me but Niles was a bit more open mind-"

"Ryan! Stop calling me that!" Dion yelled, feeling hurt over Ryan suddenly accusing him.

"Dion, you were ready to let Eli just lock us out from seeing our father just now! I was ready to fight to get through him! And when Santino tried to get us to go with him instead of us finding out what was going on, you were about to go with them and abandon our father! -"

"I was never going to abandon him, Ryan! You are being mean for no reason; I am not as brave as you and you know it! -"

"That is your problem! I always have to step up and guide you when! -"

"BOYS! ENOUGH!" Amir commanded, getting frustrated over such a tangle in otherwise concerning and tense situation.

"He started it!" Dion said back, stopping the door banging right after Amir using the voice of authority.

Ryan had a different reaction. He stopped handling the panel on the wall and walked to Amir, turning his frustration on him.

"Amir, since when can you tell us what to do?! For all we know, you most likely got followed by someone in here!" Ryan said, throwing his arms in the air.

The bunny sighed and spoke quietly.

"... Ryan, I understand that you are outraged about all of this, but pointing fingers and yelling does not help the situation at all. I was not followed by anyone."

"And how do you know that? You said that you came straight from Calvin's office." Ryan reminded like it was the main factor for his suspicion.

"... What does that have to-"

"And you think it's not remotely possible that after you tell straight to his face that you will testify against him, that he will not think you as a threat?" Ryan asked like it was naïve to think otherwise.

"... Calvin has accepted his fate; I don't think he would-" Amir tried to argue but the doubt started to raise.

"WELL, YOU SHOULD! You are a threat to him! You really thought you can wander around the hallways spreading the truth without him trying to kill you in the worst case?"

"... He already had a chance to do that... He... At least thought about it when I visited him." Amir said with a nod.

"... What do you mean?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow. Dion now slowly walked next to Ryan, realizing that this was rather shocking to hear.

"He had a gun. Your father's gun to be precise." Amir admitted.

"... What?" Dion asked worriedly.

"He had your fathers' gun on his desk and he tried to intimidate me. Threatened my life. But he didn't use the gun. Because Calvin is not a killer. He is a man who has made a terrible mistake... But the fact that he didn't shoot me right there and then proved-"

"Proved what?" Ryan asked like it proved nothing.

"Ryan," Amir said in frustration.

"PROVED... WHAT? That he was not dumb enough to make a mess and try to hide you in the closet? Every mammal in this vault will be asking you to stand up for testifying. Of course, everyone would suspect Calvin for your sudden absence if the office was the last place people saw you going into. If he is smart, he already is planning for someone else doing the dirty work for him. You are on a clock, Amir. And now so are we."

"Ryan. Please stop." Dion said quietly, his anxiety grew stronger and stronger.

"STOP? Stop what? Talking sense in both of you? How about you do something useful and find the electric panel to get some light in here?" Ryan hissed, waving his brother to go away.

Dion looked sad but had to agree that the total darkness in the area was not putting anyone's mind to ease. He slowly gave an apologizing nod, listening still the conversation going on between the bunny and the fox, starting to guide his careful steps with pip-boy light.

"You don't need to be this harsh to your brother." The bunny said.

"It's not any of your business, not your family. Just tell me one more time what makes you think that Calvin is not on a hunt?" Ryan asked.

The bunny sighed and turned to sit down on a nearby metal crate, looking at the fox and talking genuinely.

"Ryan, you are reaching too much. Calvin is not going to have killed children on his soul. Calvin knows what is coming to him, and trying to put my life in danger would be a gamble on his part."

"And him having Xavier pointing a gun at you with Elliot was not gamble?... How many times do you need to be close to danger to realize that Calvin will do anything he can to save his position?" Ryan asked Dion, looking over his shoulder nervously and muttering while scanning the wall with the green light.

"I can't find it..."

Amir kept talking to the fox.

"His position was already gone the moment Tio was chosen as the new overseer. You need to understand that. This is not about him battling to keep his position." The bunny admitted, seeing it as the reality of the situation.

"Says who? Who is going to be forcing Calvin to leave the office and give it to Tio if he ends up deciding that killing everyone in this fucking room will be a better solution?" Ryan asked skeptically, shaking his head in disappointment.

"B-brother don't talk such thing... You are freaking me out." Dion stuttered while trying to focus still on finding the switch from somewhere.

"Oh, oh I'm pretty sure it's healthy to be freaked out by possibly dying soon!" Ryan yelled, feeling like he was going crazy right now.

Amir had to now stand up as he made his way to Ryan, laying his paws on the agitated fox's shoulder and trying to calm him down.

"... This is not a comic or a horror story, Ryan. This is real life. He could not get away with it. He would not... I have known Calvin since I was born. He is a troubled man. And he has his reasons. A young person like yourself, clueless of life yet, would not understand what he has gone through. I am telling you, Ryan. Calvin Marston is not capable of killing. He had no part in what happened to Niles... And he would not have part on causing anything close to murder anymore at this point when things can only go downhill from there. You need to trust me on this. Everything will... Everything will be okay. Okay?" Amir asked, trying to force on a hopeful smile, truly wishing that he was right about the weasel.

"... And why exactly should I trust you on any of this?" Ryan asked unsurely,

"... Because merely a few hours ago, I saved the life of your best friend who was about to die on my bunk bed." Amir said like it was rather insulting already that Ryan was putting this much doubt on his word.

"..." The fox was now quiet, the glimpse of apology in his face momentarily as he knew that he was in Amir's debt. But he still was about to argue the point, until Amir spoke sternly.

"I am not asking your gratitude. I saved Niles because I am a doctor. But I am saying this to you as an adult. Calvin is not going to kill anyone."

The fox now just sighed, shaking his head and taking a moment to kneel back down in front of the door, starting to take another look of the panel.

Amir then turned finally to look at Dion, who was still browsing the wall.

"Dion, maybe the light switch isn't in this r-"

"I found it!" Dion said suddenly in relief, getting both the fox's and bunny's attention.

The husky pressed the green switch on the wall, expecting them to get blinded shortly.

Instead... nothing happened.

The lights were not working in this room.

Amir whispered in frustration.

"Well... That was somewhat expectable. The vault doesn't waste that much electrical share on this part of the vaults, into rooms we no longer use."

"... Eli could have at least told that being the case." Ryan muttered.

"I doubt that he even stepped into the room himself. It took Sax and Richard both to carry your dad in here. I expect he is somewhere behind that door over there since I don't see others." Amir said, nodding at the way of the metal door by the left side of the room.

"... Well, we might as well go talk to him now that we are not getting out of here anytime soon." Ryan stated, giving up on the lock and throwing his arms in the air.

"Y-yeah, we should go talk to him. I want to see dad now." Dion agreed in unison, starting to walk towards the door Amir pointed at.

The bunny nodded but spoke quietly.

"Maybe someone just wanted to play a prank on us by locking us down here... That is what I think. And when I find that person-"

"A prank?!" Ryan asked, stopping his steps towards the door and looking at Amir like it was the dumbest thing he heard.

"Please, don't argue anymore. Let's just... I want to know if dad is okay." Dion spoke, having reached the door and looking at the bunny and the fox worriedly now.

"... So, someone just decided to lock us in here? Out of the blue? For no reason at all? To have fun? After everything that has happened today?" Ryan asked like it was stupid for Amir to believe in that idea rather than the one he felt like a real reason.

"... I do not know." Amir said quietly.

"So, you think that Calvin or anyone around Calvin would not by any means have something to do with us imprisoned?"

"Ryan, I thought I made myself clear on the matter. What would be there to gain for Calvin by locking me in here?"

"To stop you from testifying!!!" Ryan yelled like it was clear as water.

The bunny now actually smiled and shook his head, confusing the fox with such attitude.

"Oh, Ryan... Otherwise, you could be onto something and I would be a fool. But you forget the obvious counter-reaction. People would start to search for me and would find me from here on the same day as the trial. They would find us from here in about maybe five hours. They would ask every door in the vault to be opened in search of me. I am their only doctor, which gives me a quite lot of vault, not just as a victim who is ready to testify. And I would tell them what happened anyway. So, no. That is not really a plan that would work out in Calvin's favor. See where I am getting at? Now... I think we have spent enough time on this topic. We need to find your father from here and I need to check on his health. I owe him that much."

"Well, you wouldn't owe him if you hadn't SHOT him and let him kill Calvin and Randal where they stood," Ryan said bluntly back in defiance, after realizing that he had lost the argument by Calvin making more sense into the air.

"... Ryan, killing is wrong. It always is. And Niles's father will learn that unfortunately by the hard way." Amir said, absent of a smile.

Ryan shook his head, now walking past Amir as he now stood next to his brother. He clicked the button on the wall, making the door open effortlessly as he turned to look at the bunny and spoke.

"... I'm sorry, Amir. As much as I want to believe in you about all this... I can't. Calvin is behind this. I know it. Or even Randal. The only thing I can hope now is that Eli will be there to protect him. Because now I can't. Maybe I was wrong to come here instead of going to him... Niles needs me. And now there is a broken door that shuts me out of that option." Ryan said, now feeling paranoid about Niles's safety, even with Eli on his way there.

"... Eli will keep him safe; I know it. Randal would be a fool to try anything remotely close to violence again. Eli knows how to fight... And because of you... So does Niles. It's the reason he survived to Charlie's doorstep in the first place." Amir said proudly.

Ryan wanted to smile at that but couldn't bring himself to it.

"... But that doesn't mean I still can't worry about him." Ryan said quietly.

"... You will see Niles soon enough. We will get out of here. Either people will find us, or we manage to open that door ourselves. Charlie has the most experience on doors and how to lockpick them, so-"

"Dad? Lockpicking? Yeah right-" Ryan snorted out like it was bizarre for Amir to think so just because he was oldest, but the fox had not seen Charlie break a lock once in his life from any door.

Amir chuckled at that and added.

"He has his experience on the matter, trust me. He used to pick a lock of my med bay more than-"

When Amir realized what he had accidentally said, he shut down and looked regretful right away. It was good that he didn't reveal by an accident on WHY Charlie might have done such.

"... Wait, what?" Ryan asked, having heard perfectly well.

Amir knew this was not a thing for him to discuss, trying to talk himself out of it.

"... Come along now, we should keep goi-"

"No. What do you mean by dad breaking into med bay? Why would he do that?" Ryan asked, having yanked the sleeve of Amir's lab coat.

The bunny looked anxious now, trying to make something up until Dion's echoing voice took their attention.

"HEY!"

Suddenly they both realized that Dion had already gone inside. There were stairs, leading down into the darkness. The husky was already at the end of them, lighting the way with his pip-boy light, looking over his shoulder and yelling at them.

"Come on, I don't want him to be trapped in the dark like this!" The husky yelled, somewhat disappointed at both for arguing during a moment like this when the old husky by the end of this place needed their help now.

Both Amir and Ryan dropped the conversation, for now, following carefully down the steps after Dion, the husky's fur glimmering in the strong, ambient green light in an otherwise dark tunnel.

ACT 2

(The Rover - Two Themes for Rey)

Randal knew that if he had not crossed the line before... He had crossed it now. Had to.

The old lynx was standing with his back against the door of the small room, sweating and trying to keep his head in the game. Calvin needed him to be headstrong right now more than ever. Focused, sharp and dedicated.

But trying to accomplish those feelings was torture. Under the eyes that looked at him right now, it was hard to concentrate on anything else.

Randal Hovan was pointing at his son and the freshly invited guard wolf, Eli, on Niles's bedside.

A fair and safe distance away from trying something drastic to change the situation. Randal knew that this was the last chance he had in order to save his own life. He was not going to disappoint Calvin again by his fuck ups.

All he had to do, was to keep his gun aimed at the two and keep the situation under control.

Eli's face was full of anger as he had been so careless in order to protect Niles, that he had just stormed into the room without checking his surroundings first.

Calvin had once again been a real help. There was intercom nearby the Hovan residence, where Calvin had contacted Randal right after Amir had departed from the office.

The old lynx had been noted more than once by Calvin that if a certain bunny tries to spread rumors and people would take action and find their way to Randal's doorstep, he would be ready. The gun was indeed in his paw right at this moment, which had surprised Eli and made his intervening only more complicated.

Randal had never fired an actual gun, but he knew how they worked well enough. All that he had to do, was to buy time, stay still, keep these two under guard, and wait for Calvin to arrive into the room with other guards. It was like all that was needed... Was for the time to stay still. Just keep the peace and situation stable. No emotional outbursts. Just focus.

Just in this moment.

But having your son look at you the way he did right now.

It was not an easy thing for a father to go through.

Randal wanted to say something. Anything at all. But he didn't know how or where to even start. It felt like one word would throw Niles into either crying or rage. The young lynx just kept looking at his father, wondering if this was going to be a day he would die instead.

The quiet tension was like a stove gas in the air. Heavy and pressuring. This battle of gazes was soon to come to an end, as Eli could not stay silent any longer.

"... I know what you did to him, Randal." The wolf said in a serious tone.

"... I don't know what you are talking about." Randal said back quietly, somewhat relieved that Niles had not spoken first. He was already feeling emotional enough.

"... If you don't know what I am talking about... Then why are you holding that gun? Who gave it to you?"

"... Be quiet." Randal said quietly, not liking how more the aggressiveness grew in the wolf's tone. Without the gun in his paw, Eli would beat him into hospital condition. Possible even Niles would. It was hard to place what went on inside his son's mind right now.

"And you will do what?" Eli asked, feeling rather fearless under the point of a barrel.

"... You know what I will do." Randal said, trying to act confident.

"You are going to shoot me down from talking? No. You are not." Eli said blatantly.

"I said shut up." The old lynx grunted.

"If Calvin wanted me dead, he would have ordered you to shoot anyone coming in here. I am not dead. So that means Calvin is smarter than expected, given the seriousness of the circumstances. Dumb move though, to give you a gun. I doubt you even know how to use that thing." Eli pointed out, Randal's face already telling the answer.

The old lynx closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in, trying to relax.

"I swear to god that if you keep talking-"

Eli laughed out like it was priceless to hear such a reaction.

"Swear to god? Coming from you... I really want to know. How can you swear anything anymore on a lord's name, after what you tried to do to this boy next to me? How can you still think that God wants anything to do with you? Or would redeem you? Forgive your sins? Just a kneel and prayer and everything is forgotten? You are not a true Christian. You are going straight to hell."

Randal felt the anger take over, taking a step forward as he pointed the gun now towards the wolf with a trembling hand, Niles tensing up and looking at Eli now with a warning look on not to push the limits.

"... I am a priest." Randal said, his eyes getting watery as the words from a wolf were like a poison.

Eli slowly nodded from side to side and spoke with a mocking tone.

"You were once. Not anymore. The Randal I knew was not capable of things what you did-"

Randal then sapped at the wolf and clicked the safety off to make a point.

"Then you never knew me in the first place. Now... Shut up, please."

The wolf was quiet now, Randal panting slowly and looking at Eli for about a few intense seconds until he relaxed his gun-armed and slowly backed off.

Before he was halfway back to leaning against the door to block the obvious escape route, Eli let some of his poison out again.

"You fucking degenerate piece of filth, trying to kill your own child in the night, if you would not have that gun-"

Randal took quick steps forward again and the gun rose up once more, Niles knowing that anymore escalating might have led to the wolf getting killed.

"I SAID SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP OR I WILL SHOOT YOU IN THE FACE!" Randal yelled, more desperate for silence than ever.

The barrel was now pointing between Eli's eyes, the wolf shutting down. But the hate remained in the gaze, staring right at Randal without fear.

"Calvin wants me alive. You already got away with one murder attempt. How will you explain to everyone that I died in your sons' room?"

"Stop... Talking." Randal grunted, almost like he was getting headache each second that Eli kept talking in his way.

"You don't even deserve to breathe the same air as your son," Eli said bluntly without caring.

But this time, he could feel Niles yank at the sleeve of his vault uniform, giving him a hesitant look that said: "Don't."

"You will not be breathing at all if YOU KEEP AGITATING ME!" Randal yelled, rubbing his face nervously and keeping his gun pointed at Eli again.

Niles just kept on looking at his father without a word, the burning hate still lingering deep in there, giving Randal more anxiety as he still couldn't figure out what to say to his son after everything he had done.

"So, what? We wait here for Calvin for how long?"

"... As long as it takes. That is all you both need to know. Now, be quiet." Randal sighed, trying to cool it down the moment he had seen his son get more nervous about the situation visibly.

"Why are we waiting for anyone? Why are you waiting?" Niles suddenly asked.

Hearing his voice was like a break of ice, giving a lump in Randal's throat as he turned his gaze at his son's way.

Randal didn't clearly understand the question or its intent, but after a small awkward silence, Niles spoke again with a determined tone.

"You wanted me dead. For your whole life, ever since I was born. You have wanted to kill me for what I did to mom. She is dead because of me. I escaped you once but now I can't. So, what is stopping you now? Orders from my uncle? Or what is it? You have a gun. The way I see it, you can finish what you started right here and right now. Do it. Shoot me. Let Eli go, but do what you have always wanted to do. You owe it to mom... Right?"

Niles's tone got shakier and more emotional towards the end, Randal not able to even answer out of shock as Niles suddenly stood up quick, raising his voice and yelling at Randal with a furious tone.

"RIGHT?! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! SHOOT ME!" Niles yelled, his eyes getting glossy.

"Son-" Randal said, now lowering the gun out of emotion and feel like he was about to break down. Eli notified that the gun was no longer pointing at anyone, gathering enough strength on his legs to make a possible sprint at Randal, out of fear that he might actually kill Niles. Eli didn't know if Niles was genuinely asking for Randal to kill him or making a distraction, wishing that Eli could take a hint.

"Don't call me that! Get it over with!" Niles yelled, walking closer slowly.

Randal realized that this situation was about to escalate and he was not mentally as ready as Calvin had expected him to be.

"I-I need you to stop walking, Niles! Do not come any closer-"

"Shoot me!" Niles yelled, not caring anymore at all. He kept on walking.

"Son, don't make me do this-"

"WHY?! YOU WANT ME DEAD! LOOK AT ME! YOU DO NOT LOVE ME, YOU NEVER HAVE-!"

"DON'T! -"

Eli lunged forward from the bedside, realizing that Niles was about to get shot. The young lynx was in his emotions, his anger towards his father blinding him from danger.

Randal steeled his mind just in time to act, Niles about to attack him with Eli.

The old lynx swiped with his paw, using the gun in his hand to hit Niles right in the cheek.

The impact made Niles collapse on the floor, landing on his back while holding his now bruised cheek.

"YOU FUCKING! -" Eli yelled in anger, having witnessed Randal just hitting his own son when Eli's sole purpose was to come here to make sure he was safe. He was already failing, but Niles had left little choice by such a bold confrontation towards a man with a gun.

Randal's apologizing and panicked expression lingered an only brief moment on Niles after realizing what he had done, quickly pointing his gun at Eli now.

He managed to point the gun just in time against Eli's chest, right on top of where his heart is. Randal was shaking, but Eli had stopped his attempt on hitting Randal as hard as he could, realizing that he would die if he would attempt it now.

"You... Back off."

"You hit your son with a gun, coward," Eli said, accepting the fact that those words might have been his death sentence just now.

But instead of the gun going off, as Eli feared, he got the same taste as Niles.

Randal hit the wolf with the handgrip right in his forehead, making him fall down on his back as well, collapsing on the floor. The painful grunt was let out from the wolf, the natural snarl from the predator coming out of instinct.

"I will kill you." Eli snarled in pain, holding his forehead that was now bleeding, as he crawled on the floor on his knees.

"I do not want to kill you, Eli. But try to do that one more time or keep threatening me, and I will-"

Randal lost his words when Niles slowly crawled in front of Eli, almost looking protecting. The aiming barrel of a gun slowly lowered as Randal's mouth opened slightly. The panting and cheek bruised son of his was still staring at him with aggressive hunger to beat him up totally but tried to accept the fact that he should not escalate this anymore. Because he was gambling with Eli's life as well now, not just his own.

"... Don't hurt him." Niles snarled quietly.

"... I won't have to if he keeps his muzzle shut. Like he should have done in the first place." Randal said, swallowing slightly and trying to get the hold of the situation again. That whole situation had been too careless. If he had not acted fast enough, he might have been dead.

"..." Niles now didn't talk neither anymore, helping Eli in concern and the wolf taking some support from him as he tried to get back on his feet. But his head was ringing due to the injury Randal had set.

"... I didn't mean to hit you, son." Randal said quietly in apology.

"Stop calling me that," Niles said in anger, Eli leaning his back against a chair leg while Niles tried to see how bad Eli had gotten hit just now. His eyes were a bit too adventurous to be a light hit.

"... You are my son. Always will be." Randal suddenly said, like he truly meant it.

Niles slowly turned his gaze to look at his father now, almost looking like he wanted to ask a thousand questions at once, along with hurting him badly. But after a while, Niles was able to say something to such a statement.

"How can you... H... How are you even capable of saying something like that, thinking it holds any value? You TRIED TO KILL ME. YOU HURT ME FOR YEARS. WITHOUT MY FRIENDS IN MY LIFE, I WOULD HAVE ALREADY KILLED MYSELF LONG TIME AGO, JUST TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT. Why? Why are you acting or looking at me like that after what happened?! Like you feel sorry for me?! Like you care?!" Niles asked, breaking down in front of the two and starting to cry.

Randal could not look at Niles for a moment, taking all the hate and confusion in as best as he could. Eli was feeling sick in his stomach even by listening to this in his woozy state. But he understood. And he hated himself for not knowing that something this foul had been going inside the vault without him knowing. He didn't say anything, even if he wanted... But he listened.

Niles slowly with wobbly knees gathered his strength to get up from the floor, not taking steps forward this time towards his father to prove a point. He still held his hurt cheek, feeling the tears fall on the floor. But they were tears of tiredness and confusion. He felt like within these two last days, he had cried more than during his lifetime. The mental damage was already heavy like his mind and heart were torn slowly into a wound.

"... I care." Randal was able to squeeze, sounding genuine as he did scared.

"... Why? Why do you care? What is the point? You HATE me. And I HATE you." Niles spoke, truly not understanding why he was still alive.

All his father had to do was to finish what he started here and now. Randal didn't answer, crying himself.

"Did you hear me?! I HATE YOU! So why are you hesitating to kill me now?!" Niles yelled in confusion. Eli felt like the situation was escalating now. It was painful to listen because it genuinely sounded like Niles was ready to die, almost sounding like he was begging his father to just get on with it. But Randal didn't. He just cried, trying not to make a sound as he was ready for any sudden movements this time.

"... If I would do this my way... I would not survive until the trial. I want to live... And I want to fix my wrongs."

"... What do you mean?"

Randal took a deep breath, not bothering to wipe off his tears and looking at the floor for a moment, trying to put his feelings into words.

"What do you mean by fixing your wrongs? How... What can you po-How do you think that it's even possible?" Niles asked, wondering that if his father had not been insane first, now he surely was losing it.

Randal finally spoke, looking at his son with eyes full of regret, the gaze making Niles freeze.

"... O-once Winchesters are out of the picture... Out of this vault. We can... We can try again. I want to give it a chance. I see it now. After how you defended yourself. How you fought for your life. It made me realize that... You were never as weak as I thought you would be. You should be dead. But you are not... You are here because God saved you... And tries to make me see that you are not a lost cause. I have been blind to think otherwise. All this... Has a purpose. I want to believe that... With all my heart. Calvin and I... You... We will fix this... We... We will fix this and move on."

Instead of seeing any kind of glimpse of hope in Niles, the lynx looked like he wanted to strangle Randal right here and now, looking dumbfounded.

"Is that what you think? That this is all some higher plan?"

Randal tried to speak but Niles kept going.

"... God did not save me. Charlie Winchester saved me."

"... Niles-"

"And was it also god's plan to kill me? He whispers in your ear to do it, hm? A vision?" Niles asked threateningly, trying to move towards Randal again until Randal spoke with a voice that broke.

"I did a mistake."

Now Niles's eyes widened as he stopped moving, wondering if he just heard right.

"I-I'm sorry for-" Randal tried to say, the words getting stuck.

"... You-" Niles wondered if Randal was really truthful of how he felt after all.

"... It was not the god's plan for me to-... It was me. I did wrong. I... You did not deserve what I did. How I hurt you. I will... I WANT TO PROMISE YOU... That I will spend the rest of my life atoning for what I tried to do to you." Randal said, and Niles could hear from his voice...

That he meant it. At least he believed that there was still a chance to make things right.

And Niles didn't truly know how he felt about hearing it.

"... It's too late for that, dad. You know things can never be the same anymore." Niles whimpered out, trying to defy his father's hopeful attitude.

"It's not. It won't be... But I want to try." Randal said emotionally.

"You tried to take my life from me-" Niles began, hating the fact that he felt some relief in the fact that his father felt this way. That there still was something.

Randal yelled out with tears.

"I'm sorry! I am!"

Niles choked, the burning hate fading away and the hurt voice talking, almost like begging for his father to stop toying with his mind the way he was right now.

"... I will never forgive you, no matter your words or how much you want to fix it. I can't even trust you that you mean any of this."

But it was this time Randal who took a step forward, Eli tensing up and readying for another possible assault if Randal would do such movements while distracted.

"... But still, you do. You know I am not lying... You are my son!" Randal said to Niles, looking like he wanted to grab him and hug him.

Niles cried out, even more, taking one step back and not wanting for Randal to do what he was trying to. And yet... Part of him did. His mind was on fire of so many emotions that it was breaking him.

"Don't!" Niles yelled, Randal still approaching without pointing anywhere with his gun. Eli kept on watching the situation warily.

"You know we can fix this, son, you have to see the light! -"

"WE CAN'T! I WON'T! I HATE YOU!" Niles yelled out, Randal suddenly grabbing his arm, the lynx forcing himself to look at Randal in the eyes. They were messed up from tears and bloodshot, but the old lynx was showing his true feelings right now, without any doubt. Niles could not bear himself to say anything anymore in his crying and scared, denial bursting state. Randal spoke with a wavering tone, swallowing loudly as he whispered.

"You need to find it in your heart to forgive me... And I will... I PROMISE that... I see it now..."

"..." Eli expected Niles to hit Randal out of reaction since it looked like that. The young lynx's paw was balled into a fist that was trembling with his whole body. Yet, he didn't hit his father. Randal gathered himself to say out loud what he meant.

"I will forgive you... For what happened to your mother."

It felt like Niles's whole world had just stopped on its tracks, the anger, confusion, pain, all becoming something else behind those crying eyes.

And Randal could see it, clearly as he was blessed to.

There it was. A glimpse of atonement. The hope. Forgiveness.

This time, Randal was going in for a hug. The tensed up and still crying young lynx was trying to still process what his father had just said to him, not denying the incoming embrace.

But something else did.

Someone had opened the metallic door right behind Randal's back.

The snap of metal rising up took Eli's attention, having been ready to chunk his teeth into Randal's leg within a second if the new distraction had not come into play.

But it was more than a distraction.

"Randal Hovan. Drop. Your. Fucking Gun. Right now."

It was not only one newcomer... But two.

Mel and Rob were both pointing vault pistols at Randal's back.

Eli had no idea what was going on or how the two happened to be here, but the exhale of relief and the smile came quickly.

Randal didn't move an inch or look behind his back. He was still looking at Niles. And Niles was looking back at him but saw the two on the background. Randal had not let go of his gun yet.

"Randal. I advise you take away from the boy right now, drop your gun, and get your hands up. Then you back towards us very slowly. Understood?"

Randal didn't budge. He kept looking at his son, wanting him to embrace him. To give him a chance. To show that what he had just said wasn't for nothing. And Niles could see it clear as the day now.

Randal was not going to be taken away alive.

"Randal... I will shoot you in the back of your fucking head, I swear it. Do as you are told. You will not hurt that boy. You will never be in the same room with him again." Robert said.

"We know the truth of what happened Randal. And we do not give a fuck what Calvin wants or doesn't want at this point. It's up to us to give justice for Charlie. We know he is innocent. But you... You are coming with us, dead or alive." Mel said with disgust.

"Shoot him! Do it!" Eli yelled in between, Randal still looking at Niles into his eyes. Like all that mattered to him anymore, was to hear his son answer anything. Anything at all. He had just begged forgiveness over years of horror, knowing he didn't deserve it. Yet, he was waiting for it from the broken soul in front of him.

"... What are you bringing me into justice for?" Randal asked, just buying time for himself as Niles still could not speak.

Mel answered annoyedly.

"... Attempted murder, conspiring against the people of this vault, hiding of evidence, denial of a crime, attempted framing of murder, carrying a firearm without permission, holding hostages and most likely threatening them with violence. Do you want me to keep going or are you going to drop that gun?"

"He admitted to everything just before you two came in. Just shoot him already! We deal with Calvin after, this maniac does not deserve to see a fair trial!" Eli yelled.

"Calvin will not allow this. He will have you all banished. The rest of the guards are loyal to him; you know they are. Once they hear-" Randal tried to reason, begging for his son with his eyes to just say something before he would meet his most likely end.

"Shut the fuck up. You get five seconds, Randal. DROP THE GUN!" Rob yelled, stepping forward and using both hands on his gun now, Mel stepping beside him as well. Both were focused on Randal with intent to kill.

Randal and both Niles just kept looking at eachother in tears... And the countdown began.

Randal didn't care anymore. Calvin had not come to his rescue, not fast enough. Not this time. But he still had a chance to redeem part of his soul. To atone. To truly be forgiven.

The words on the background became a blur to Randal...

And Niles knew what was going to happen. He shed a single tear, taking his father's paw as he whispered to him like it was a farewell.

"I can't forgive you, father."

Randal's eyes were faint of hope at that moment, the final words from his broken and crying son shattering the hope for final atonement.

And the moment Niles closed his eyes, not able to look at Randal anymore, letting go of his sweaty paw and distancing himself away from him for the last time.

Randal whispered his son's name quietly with a broken tone... And the hopeless, given up a burst of rage found its way to his soul. He was halfway to raising his gun hand, aiming it right towards Eli instead of Niles, pressing the trigger.

BLAM!-

Niles had closed his eyes, expecting his father to shoot him down, but realizing it had not been his intention. He had shot at Eli once and was about to do it twice before the two behind Randal acted.

The two handguns echoed and blazed, firing the bullets one after another into Randal's back.

The old lynx died within an instant before being able to shoot a second shot at the screaming wolf on the ground, falling on his knees.

The guns stopped firing after one last missed shot that broke a family portrait on the other side of the room from the top of Randal's nightstand.

The old lynx's shirt was now steaming from two places, six bullets had found their ways into his back, the bleeding starting furiously from each place.

The lifeless body of the lynx now fell from its knees, face hitting the floor and life fading away from his still open eyes, dropping the last single tear onto the floor.

Niles was trembling, still having his eyes closed and not able to see what had happened. But he knew without looking. And it took him a moment to come in terms with it.

The reality of it.

His father was dead.

Eli was looking at his leg, the bullet Randal fired having found it's way to his upper thigh. But the pain was not on his focus now. It was Niles's health.

"Niles! Are you okay?! You two could have killed the boy, he was right behind the bastard!" Eli yelled in panic.

Mel laid down his gun, panting from shock over having killed someone for the first time in his duty, just like Rob. The otter yelled at the wounded wolf.

"WE HAD NO CHOICE; HE WAS GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Niles! Niles, are you unhurt!?" Robert yelled, holstering his gun and running to the young lynx.

"I-I'm... I-he..-" Niles whimpered.

The raccoon brushed Niles's head calmingly and spoke warmly.

"Hhsss, it's okay. He will never hurt you again. He is dead, Niles. Are you hurt? You need to tell me because I don't see any blood yet-"

"I-I' I am f-fine..." Niles whimpered, still not opening his eyes and having a panic attack. He slowly pulled away from the raccoon's comfort, needing a moment to himself.

"Oh fuck... Thank god. Gave me heartburn. Fuck... Eli, how bad is that wound of yours?"

"Well, ain't going to walk itself! Fucking hurts like shit! The old man was faster with that gun than I expected, fuck..." The wolf muttered, putting pressure on the wound.

"Didn't hit the artery. But we need some towels. The bullet didn't go that deep, so always better for you." Mel said in relief.

"... You didn't need to kill him." Niles said quietly, opening his eyes for the first time now. And he saw more or less what he expected. Still, it hurt to see. It was like... Staring at a picture you had wanted to see for years. To see the person that you hated and who hated you, dead. But yet... It didn't give him the comfort or peace he expected. He wanted it to. It made him feel empty. Regretting. The person was still his dad... And he had truly apologized to him. For the pain. The abusive. The words. All of it. But he couldn't forgive him, because his father didn't deserve it. Not like this. Not so fast.

But seeing him like this.

It was traumatizing.

The warm pool of blood was gathering on the floor, the old lynx making a mess. The blood reached Niles's toes, making the shivering lynx take a step back. But he couldn't stop looking. His father's blank, expressionless face.

There was simply no life in him anymore.

"Niles... Hey. Niles, look at me." Rob suddenly said, waking Niles back up to reality.

The raccoon was holding his shoulders as he spoke to him with a serious tone.

"He is gone. And he will not come back. Whatever horrors you have been through with that monster. It's all over now. Forever. Don't blame yourself for what happened to him. People like him will meet this kind of fate before long. Vault can't be safe with someone like him among us. Ever. You understand that." Robert explained, knowing that something like this will change a person forever, but Niles had to be strong enough to face what happened.

"... I-I d-don't..." Niles stuttered, feeling like he was about to pass out.

"Mel... I need you to do something. Alright? I need you to listen carefully." The raccoon said, snapping his fingers at the otter's way, who was putting still pressure on the wolf's wound.

"All ears, but I'm kinda middle of tending to Eli at the moment." The otter muttered, cursing as his paws started to get stained with blood.

"I need you to take Niles away from here. Escort him to safety. He doesn't need to be looking at... You know what. Take him to somewhere out of here." The raccoon said.

"R-Ryan... I-I want to see Ryan... I want to-" Niles began hysterically like the fox was all he needed at this moment to comfort and hold him.

The raccoon spoke calmingly.

"It's not the best idea right now to look for him. I know that he is your best friend, but the thing is... We don't know where Dion or Ryan are, we haven't seen them in a while. In most likely case, they are looking for their father desperately, or maybe they are with Amir at his clinic-"

"Argh, fuck... I know where Ryan and Dion are." Eli grunted suddenly in pain, taking a few sharp inhales.

"Shit, we need to get you to Amir. You need medical help right now at the clinic." Mel said.

"Amir is with them." The wolf sighed, knowing that Amir most likely did not have time to help him right at this moment.

"Well, where are they?" Robert asked right away.

"... The thing is... They are quite far away from here. Maintenance deck. Floor four. The abandoned water maintenance unit, the one your wife worked to fix all the years. The one with the rusty door. That is where I and Richard took Winchester after the whole thing in the hall. We handcuffed him into a chair and had to bolt it into the ground. We left him in there without guarding. Richard left to talk with Calvin, while I stayed, Arrhs shit... G-Guarding the door. That's when Amir came with the Winchesters. He told me everything. I let them go in to talk Charlie, while I went straight to here in order to take Randal by surprise... I do not know if Charlie or any of them are still there. They would need bolt cutters or something sharp to free Charlie from that seat, unfortunately, and I didn't see any of those around...Shit, you are pressing too hard!" Eli snapped at the otter.

"Shit, sorry." The otter muttered back carelessly.

Niles felt relief that Ryan was alive and well, but knew that wondering around the halls was a risk now. And so did Robert. The raccoon thought for a while and spoke.

"Mel, I will go to Charlie and tell what is going on and that we need to get Calvin for this. You, take Niles to Santino. He is already protecting his son and a future overseer, as he should. My son is also in his care with others. Take Niles there, he will be safe. Once you have escorted him safely there, join me. We need to come up with the plan. A move against Calvin. Richard, Sax, Tony, and Tamir are all loyal to death for Calvin and will stand with him on this. They cannot be trusted. I doubt they can give much of a fight beside Sax since Xavier was the best fighter Calvin had. We have a chance here."

Mel nodded at that, Eli grunting as the otter let go of his wound and made him hold it himself for a moment.

"B-but Ryan-" Niles begged.

"Niles. It's too dangerous. Whatever happens today, it might change the future of this vault for good. If it comes to a fight, you can't be around. Our job is to protect the youth of this place without lives. Go with Mel. It's the best choice now." Robert said, meaning his words.

Niles swallowed loudly, giving one last painful look at the body on the floor, before looking back at Rob again.

"Okay," Niles whispered, nodding.

"Uhhrhm... A good plan and all... FUCK, this leg! Unh!... Wh-what about me?" Eli asked.

"Can you walk?" Rob asked quickly.

"... No, I don't think I can, Rob." The wolf answered sarcastically, giving an amused laugh.

Mel then put in his thoughts.

"... The bullet didn't hit the artery, meaning you can tough it out as best as you can. We have towels in the bathroom to tie around it. Some antiseptic too and painkillers. I'm sure that Randal has a bottle or two here to wash it down to dull your pain enough. We need you to hold here, for now, moving will only worsen the bleeding and we don't know when Amir is able to help in the middle of this shitstorm. Do you think you got it? We come here later; we promise." The otter vouched.

Eli looked at all three in question, slightly frustrated as he grunted out.

"YeahYEAHWhatever I got it! Just... Get back soon. There better be a lot of rum left here. The drunken psycho fuck won't be needing it any-" The wolf muttered, until he saw Niles's expression, making him shut his mouth.

Rob gave a sympathetic look at Niles, talking to Eli.

"Cover him up with his blanket. No need to disgrace the body. Mel. Get him the towels and the pills, whatever you can find from that bathroom." The raccoon ordered.

Mel didn't hesitate, storming into the bathroom right away.

"D-dad had... W-whiskey in his nightstand..." Niles whispered quietly, taking careful steps around the body as Rob was guiding him towards the door.

"I'll get it," Mel said, coming back from the bathroom, having already a handful of stuff. He threw the bottle of pills at Eli's lap, along with the towels.

"Gee, thanks, Mel." The wolf muttered, wincing as he lifted his leg up to have the towel around it. He started to tie the knot around the wound for permanent pressure, as Mel took the blanket from the top of the bed. The otter slowly laid it on top of Randal's body, covering everything but feet. The white towel got soaked red within a few seconds.

Mel took the bottle out of the lowest cabinet board, handing it out to the wolf that already had a mouthful of painkillers.

"Give it," Eli said, yanking the bottle without lingering and started to drink it down.

"Easy with it," Mel warned.

"You didn't get shot, let me drink," Eli grunted in between, taking the bottle off his muzzle and wiping it with his sleeve.

Mel sighed at that, walking over to the door where Niles and Rob were already waiting.

"W-will you two give him a funeral?" Niles asked quietly, staring at the bloodied blanket emptily.

"... After all, this is done. Yes. We will." Rob promised with a sympathetic tone.

"Let's get going, Niles. I need to get you to Santino so I can help Charlie and others fast as I can. We can't waste time." Mel said, laying his hand against Niles's back and the young lynx stumbling a bit on his steps, giving one last look at his dead father on the floor before leaving through the door.

Mel looked at both ways of the hallway. It was possible that someone had heard all the gunshots. More than likely.

The otter and the raccoon scanned the area with their guns up, looking and listening just in case. There was no sound to be heard. Only some distant sounds of the crowd, most likely coming from the youth dining hall. They may have heard or not. But the voices were not coming their way for now.

"Clear. Go, Mel. Watch after him with your life."

"I will. I hope I don't have to shoot anyone else today. Or more like never after this." Mel said quietly.

"You might have to. Get him to Santino. And Niles..."

The young lynx turned to look at the raccoon, just trying to breathe and focus, still overly emotional after realizing that he was last of his bloodline now.

"You were very brave. Never forget that. Your mother would be proud of you." The raccoon said with an honest tone.

Niles didn't answer. He just gave a hesitant nod at the raccoon, Mel starting to lead him on the hallway side by side with his gun up.

"Let's go. Stay behind me the whole time."

"O-okay," Niles said quietly, letting the otter in front of him take the lead.

The otter nodded at the raccoon over his shoulder, getting one back. Rob saw as Mel carefully checked the corner on the other end, making sure it was safe. Soon after, both of the mammals disappeared from his sight.

Rob slowly turned back to look at Eli. The wolf had finished half the bottle, pouring some of the liquor now on top of the bloodied blanket.

"Thanks for the drink, priest. May you burn in hell." Eli said with disgust.

"That's enough of that, Eli. Have some respect for the dead." Rob said, looking around the hallways still.

Eli then cleared his throat and spoke while looking down on the body.

"... You were not in this room when Randal spoke about what he had done. How Niles acted. I have never seen a boy so broken by the mind. He literally told Randal to shoot him and get it over with. The anger in his voice when he said it. He was ready to surrender his life just be rid of him forever. We were so blind... All this time... This man right here had put the kid through a living hell under our eyes. He can rot in hell for all I care... And the same will come to Calvin for protecting him." Eli said, spitting now on top of the bloodied blanket and starting to drink the whiskey again.

"It's a bit a lot to take in that we have protected an overseer like this our whole lives," Rob admitted scaredly.

"Not our whole lives. Half of them, to be correct." Eli chuckled but ending up wincing a bit due to the wound.

"That should be enough time to learn a person's nature, nevertheless," Rob argued.

"He was always a cunt. He doesn't deserve to maybe die over this, but he will not be my overseer when this is done, no matter how this day ends."

Robert then spoke nervously.

"... He has four guards on his side. There is only me and Mel. This will get hairy if the others will not believe our side of the story. We just fucking killed Randal, and once Calvin knows, he won't settle the outcome with words. I really don't want to die today. I don't plan to leave my wife to take care of our little Jacob all alone." Rob said, the paranoid gazing around the area continuing from the doorstep.

"Rob... I know you are scared. And I know you are hesitating to leave me here. You know that you might be running into a trap because we do not know the real Calvin any more. But you need to get to Charlie before him as fast as you can." Eli argued.

The raccoon gave a quick look at the wolf's way, rubbing his forehead a bit and suddenly giving a paw out for the wolf. The nod asked for the bottle.

"... I know that... I just... I am a poor shot. There are four of them plus Calvin. Of course, I am scared of my life."

Eli slowly handed out the bottle to the pressured raccoon, watching as he took a slight sip of courage before he was about to head out from the area and leave his friend behind.

"... Rob..." Eli said quickly, grabbing the bloodied gun from the floor, from Randal's cold dead paw.

He handed it over to the raccoon slowly, Rob hesitantly taking it in his paw with confusion, while handing out the bottle back to the wolf.

"I... I don't think that another gun makes a difference with my aim, Eli." Rob admitted with a nervous chuckle.

"... No. But Charlie does. You saw what he was capable of. I have never seen a man move like that in my whole life... And I think I am not fetching it far by saying neither have you. If you get Charlie off that chair and give him a gun... That should do more than even the odds for you." Eli reminded with a hopeful smile.

"..." Rob didn't even need to answer to know that it was true. He now looked determined and nodded at that reminder.

Charlie was not only an innocent hostage waiting for a false trial now. He was their key to survival.

Rob gave a hesitant nod, tugging the pistol into his empty holster and checking the one in his paw.

"Get going already. I will be fine. No one is looking for me and no one is here." Eli said quietly.

"... Don't die while I'm gone." Rob said half-joking half-serious.

"Go. I don't want to live under Calvin's rule after this day is over. Make sure of it." Eli said with a serious tone.

"... I will. I hope I can be as brave as you. Without you... That boy might have died today." Rob said, giving one the last smile of courage at Eli for his guard service.

Eli just faintly smiled back but didn't speak. There was no need. He just saluted at Rob's way with the bottle. Robert closed the door and stormed off the scene.

Eli could faintly hear the steps continue in the hallway, almost like small drums in his ears.

He slowly looked down at the ground, giving a firm kick at the body out of spite and hissing.

"And you really expected that your son would forgive you for all your shit... You deserved to die like this. I am not a father myself... But I know that if I would have a son... I would raise him with love."

The quiet moment remained inside the room. The blood poo around Randal just kept getting bigger and bigger. Eli had to scoot away from the blood's reach slightly, managing to get himself up.

"Arrh fuck..." Eli grunted out, managing to sit on the chair.

He laid the bottle next to him on the table, feeling his vision blur.

The drink and the painkillers together were doing their waited effect. The pain started to dull itself away.

"PFffhhh should get shot more often." Eli chuckled grimly, rubbing his eyes to stay awake. The alcohol was hitting him harder than anticipated. He drank it a bit too fast. But the feeling of warmth made Eli hazily slur his words and bring a slight smile on his face.

"... You know... I never believed in my wildest dreams that something like this would happen during my lifetime. Murdering... Rebelling... Plotting and scheming... This vault will be better without people like you in it." Eli said leaning back on the chair and chuckled out.

"I'll give it to you though... Very good whiskey."

The quietness remained... Until Eli became restless, starting to gather himself up from the chair. With trembling hands, he managed to get back on his feet just and just, muttering while getting drunk by the seconds.

"... We shouldn't give you a funeral... We should throw a celebration for your death." Eli spat out, about to drag himself towards the bed to lay on his back.

But then... Something stopped him.

The metallic door opened once more, Eli freezing his movements.

He had expected to see Mel or Rob. It would make the most sense.

But... It was someone he least expected.

Calvin was standing on the doorway. Looking focused, stressed out of his mind, but yet determined.

Behind his back... Four mammals were standing firmly, gazing over his shoulders into the room.

The weasel didn't take a step in. He saw Eli with wobbly legs, taking support from the nearby table. The wolf stared back at him with drunken expression, but a tense one.

He slowly moved his other paw behind his back for a gun... Until he realized that he had handed out the weapon for Rob.

Which gave him the realization of the situation.

He was fucked.

Calvin spoke nothing. He just looked at the wobbly wolf from head to toe with open muzzle.

Until his eyes slowly traveled at the blanket on the floor.

The blood.

All of the blood.

And the only pair of feet sticking out from under it.

"... Why are you not guarding Charlie at your post, Eli? What happened to your leg?" Richard asked with a serious tone.

"Eli... Are you drunk?" Sax suddenly asked amusedly.

"... "Eli said nothing. He just stared at Calvin, while Calvin kept looking at the blanket.

"... Answer the question, Eli. Why are you not guarding Winchester? We are heading there right now. You were supposed to be there to receive us. Why did you ignore your orders?" Tony asked, stepping into the room now after Calvin, growing annoyed at Eli not speaking.

The moment the white-furred husky guard stepped in; he saw what Calvin had been staring at.

The weasel felt his fist trembling. Eli saw that. He knew that he was running out of time.

Calvin knew exactly who was laying under the blanket. Slowly, the strong and determined expression broke down. Becoming the face of agony and sorrow. It took all the weasel had not to break down on his knees and cry.

"... Randal." Calvin said with a broken voice.

Tony quickly made his way to the body. Everyone else quickly following inside the room. Eli dared not to move a muscle. He didn't know what to do. Escape was not an option with the leg. Shooting Calvin right here and now was out of the picture, he was unarmed. And begging for his life...

Was not the road he was going to take today.

Calvin kept trembling and looking down at his last living friend he could trust. Dead on his feet. It was all for nothing. He could not save Randal despite all his attempts for it.

The white-furred husky lifted up the blanket just enough to see the face of the dead person. Once Calvin saw that it was indeed Randal, he could not hold the tears and small broken exhale escaping.

"Oh my god... Guys... Randal is dead." Tony said with a horrified tone.

"ELI! EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED HERE! RIGHT NOW!" Sax yelled, the tiger's roar trying to break Eli into talking by force. But it didn't. Eli kept just looking at Calvin like a target. Slowly... He managed to move in front of the table and reach the bottle behind him with his paw. He took a strong grip around it... And knew that it was the last thing he would ever do.

Calvin sniffed loudly a few times, wiping the tears off his face.

All of the guards were terrified of the situation, and more so disturbed by the fact that Eli still wasn't talking to them. He just kept eyeballing Calvin nonstop, like he was the only person in this room with him.

And slowly, as expected... Calvin's attention shifted in the wolf's way.

And those eyes were burning with only a single thought in mind.

Revenge.

"... You?" Calvin asked like it was the only question he wanted an answer to.

He wanted to know if the person behind this murder was standing right in front of him.

Eli spoke quietly.

"You know what he did. You protected him. You tried to get away with it. He got what he deserved."

Calvin now suddenly took a gun from behind his back, having tucked it into his vault suit.

It was Charlie's handgun. The hate-filled, vengeful grip around the gun shook as the weasel was ready to shoot. Eli winced in fear. He didn't know if Calvin had the guts to do what he was about to. But there was no happy ending for him here no matter what. Calvin would not just let him go or lock him up. There was no talking out of this situation. So instead of fearing it...

Eli accepted it.

The vicious smile came on the wolf's face as the shaking barrel kept pointing at him.

"I doubt that you would allow me a fair trial if I'd say that I did this."

"... Did you do it?" Calvin asked with a hateful voice, taking one step closer to the wolf. Eli just panted, looking at the guards around Calvin.

"... No... I did not kill Randal. But I saw it happen. And after learning the things he did to that boy... It was the most justified death I have ever seen. I thought that if I'd ever one day witness a murder... It would mess me up... But instead... I find myself smiling. Funny isn't it?"

Calvin clicked the safety off from the gun, the guards now taking a step back and one of them speaking nervously.

"Overseer Marston..." Tamir, the old otter, began worriedly, but the look from the other guards gave the obvious hint to not interfere.

"You fucking traitor," Calvin said, tear falling down on his cheek as he was already giving pressure to the trigger with his finger.

"... You do what you got to do, Calvin Marston... But at least I die drunk. Ironic. To die next to an alcoholic who died sober, covered in his shit and tears... While Niles gets to have the best sleep in his life after-"

BLAM!

The gun went off, hitting the bullet right at Eli's shoulder. The impact made him fall onto the chair he had recently sat on, the bullet going clean through and making blood spatter onto the wall.

The bottle from Eli's grip fell onto the floor, breaking down loudly and smashing the shards around.

Calvin's shocked and widened eyes realized what he had just done, but the burning hate and adrenaline were still there. But instead of the shot making him regretful or scared... It only fueled his fire.

Slowly... The gun aimed right back at Eli. The wolf gave out a long-winded grunt, looking at his shoulder and watching it bleed fast.

The wolf slowly turned his drunken gaze to look at Calvin, staring at the smoking barrel of Charlie's gun.

None of the guards said nothing.

They were too speechless over witnessing their overseer just shooting someone.

Eli gave one last grin at Calvin, before he spat onto Calvin's chest, speaking.

"One way or another... Winchester will kill you soon... It must be hard to admit Calvin... You lost... You are no overseer of mine."

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

The bullets hit Eli in his chest three times, piercing the body and even the chair. Small pieces of flesh flew from Eli's chest, and the drunken wolf closed his eyes slowly, his body going limp fully.

The wolf died, collapsing from his position on the chair, and jaw slowly resting on his chest.

And once again... The room was quiet.

The smell of gunpowder was heavy in the air, as well as the smell of blood.

The weasel slowly laid down his trembling arm, gazing down on the dead body he had just made.

He was panting rapidly, filled with adrenaline. None of the guards still spoke. They were just taking a cautious distance from Calvin.

The feeling was... Shaking.

For such a long time, he had wondered how it would feel to take a life.

But he knew that this was not a mindless act. He knew that the wolf on that chair had something to do with his kin's death. Even if he was not directly the killer.

So, this feeling, holding a smoking gun and having claimed a life...

It would have normally not hit this way... But it felt like justice.

Something that he knew deep down... Felt good.

But it didn't stop his body from shaking or mind wandering all around the place.

He had to get himself back to the situation and act.

The weasel suddenly spoke with a rough tone, trying to overcome the sorrow he still had for his dead family next to him.

"... If they free Charlie... Randal died for nothing. Charlie won't stop until he has killed me. It is time for you all to choose. Betray me like Eli... Or be true to your overseer and this vault... And help me bring the responsible for this into justice... Do this... And I reward you all in ways you couldn't imagine."

There was no answer yet. Until Calvin bit his teeth together and added, quietly hating the fact that none of their loyalty came for free.

"You get to choose any wife you wish from the vault for yourself, no matter the age. You will get double the food rations, choose the future guards, and get bigger residences to live in. Permission to carry a personal firearm each day."

It was all that they needed to hear.

"... I am with you, Calvin." Tony said quickly.

"I am too," Richard said hesitantly.

"Always, Calvin. Randal was always good for me, unlike Charlie." Sax said without hesitation.

Tamir was the only one who didn't speak right now. The old otter felt like all of this was wrong and too much to handle. He was old, and none of the offered things by Calvin really meant anything for him.

"I... I-I just want the violence to stop, Calvin. This... This is not you." Tamir said in worry, laying his paw on the weasel's shoulder. The gaze that Calvin gave to the otter was aggressive, making the old otter shudder slightly from fear.

The weasel smelled the fear, looking down at Tamir with despising gaze and spoke.

"... You are too old and weak anyway to be used anyway. If you are not going to help, then stay out of it. My final task for you before retirement today. Get these two to the medical bay. I want to give my family a proper funeral. Eli... Burn him and his possession with him."

"... B-but t-that is going to take a long while to do... M-my knees... C-Calvin, there has to be a better way. I served your father when he was still the overseer, I was there when you were born. Listen to me when I talk to you, man to man... this... this is not you."

For a moment, there was a glimpse of regret and hesitation in Calvin's eyes. He knew the situation was out of control. But his lust for revenge over Randal was overbearing his other senses.

But not enough to kill without reason. Even if killing Tamir would be tying a loose end. But he did not want to lose his mind and kill Tamir, who clearly wanted no part in the killing. He couldn't blame him.

Calvin slapped the paw off his shoulder and whispered.

"... It is now."

Tamir spoke no more, just giving a disappointed and scared look after Calvin's way, the weasel storming off with the gun in his paw.

The three hesitantly gave each other looks before going right after Calvin, ready to accompany him to whatever situation he was going to lead them into. The reward was something to look for and fight for.

Calvin shed one last tear, getting his head back into the game and sniffing loudly as he whispered by himself, knowing that today was the day when he would have to take the biggest gamble so far in the game of chess that he had been playing against Winchester for years now.

Checkmate.

But neither knew the victor yet.

ACT 3

Fallout 3 OST - Forgotten)

The old, brown-furred husky was slowly feeling his vision coming back.

Everything was hazy, blurry and dim.

It was like still being in a dream, someone had whispered in your ear to wake up... But you didn't know if it was a real voice or a mind playing tricks on you.

Small croaky sound of roughness released itself from the dog's throat, his head slowly moving to gaze at his left side... And slowly the right. He still couldn't see anything at all.

Some dark sounds of steel echoed in the distances, vibrating his hearing and making him confused as it did uncomfortable. Almost like a looming threat, banging a metal stick against the walls of the vault to remind that it was very much alive, whatever it was.

"Nhfm.."

The dog couldn't really form words, only panting out and mumbling something as he tried to make sense of his state of mind. Slowly by the seconds, he felt like there was starting to be more clarity in his senses... But whatever the situation was, it was unnerving. He didn't want to be here. Hearing these sounds, barely seeing anything. But he had no option.

A light yank of a wrist from the subconscious in order to make sure if his body was able to move was made but didn't really work out. The wrist moved only slightly, until getting greeted with small unexpected pain and a feeling of restraint.

"Whhher..." The dog let, slowly staring to pick up the pace and shaking his head a bit in order to wake up from the blur. His senses got stronger and stronger... And the echoing sounds of steel against steel faded, almost like escaping some uncomfortable and grey memory.

Like he had been here before but didn't like it one bit.

"Dad!.... Dad?!"

The sound echoed from the distance, surprisingly close as well. Was this mind playing tricks again? Or am I really awake?

Because if I am, why is the temperature so low here?

Where are the lights? Why am I sitting? And why can't...

I need to snap out of this.

Yell something.

"Here!" Charlie Winchester let out randomly, forcing the shout out. It was not clear if he had just shouted in the darkness of his mist-filled, dark dream... Begging to have some answer of rationality.

Or maybe I was just going insane.

"DAD?" Someone asked only two seconds after the shout.

And it made it clear that this might have not been a dream after all.

"Whah... D-Dion? DION!" Charlie yelled, having now recognized the voice and feeling it was too good to be true to hear such a familiar voice, whatever was going on right now.

There was a short snap of metal doing some sort of mechanism on his right side. He could hear It rather clear despite the haziness, his ears perking up and his gaze wandering around the dark area, wondering was someone actually coming to him.

"Is he here?" The fox asked, the voice making Charlie's mind wake up even more as he could swear that it was Ryan.

"I heard him yell back!" Dion said right away, being more than sure of it.

"Younglings, try to find a light. Wait... The main switch is here. I can see it. Give me a..." A third voice spoke, and Charlie was ready to bet on that it had been Amir's voice.

But before h could ask a single question or demand to know what was going on or where he was, the loud sound of electricity coming alive like a breathing mechanism, pierced the whole room.

WHHHHHHHHHHHHhh!

The bright ceiling lights came on, blinding Charlie momentarily and making him wince in annoyance. It was like being held in the dark for ages and shoving him to the sun. Not that he could even remember what actual sun felt anymore but it was the closest comparison he could think of.

He still held his eyes closed tight as they could, biting his teeth together and cursing slightly.

But it took only a moment before overly relieved voices of his own children came to embrace him.

"Father!" Ryan yelled, Dion following his brother right after.

The snappy sound of metal door closing after being opened got muffled by the sounds of the kids.

"Dad! Dad, it's us! We came to rescue you!"

"... Rescue?" The dog muttered in confusion, not understanding.

"Damnit, they actually fucking locked him in here... Has cuffs and everything... Don't worry we will figure out something, dad." Ryan muttered in frustration as he started to run his paws on the steel that held his father in the chair.

His hands were moved behind his back, cuffed nicely into the steel chair that had once served purpose as barber chair most likely. There were some tufts of old fur by who knows before this room had been left as unused crate storage.

As Charlie slowly opened his eyes, enduring the light as best as he could... He started to gain his vision back.

The first person that he could make out...

Was a familiar yellow furred bunny in his usual lab coat, looking down at him worriedly with his hands in his pocket's mere feet away from him.

"... Amir... What is-"

Charlie then saw Ryan coming right next to him with Dion, both starting to smile.

"C-can you see us, dad?" Dion asked right away with a relieved smile.

"How many fingers?" Ryan asked, trying to add some comedic value into the moment, Charlie huffing out of happiness.

Seeing his own kin after such a hazy and scary moment was more than welcome change.

"Boys. Yeah, I can see you both more than well now. Hah... Thank god you are both here... But... Why am I cuffed?" Charlie let out, wobbling his head from side to side to get rid of the last remaining clumsiness in his mind.

Both the fox and the husky boy leaned in very fast to give a hug to him, although it was rather reluctant from the fox, who just leaned out just as fast in order to move forward with the obvious.

"We need to get you off this chair, fast."

Dion was still hugging his father with a wide smile Charlie giving a calming cheek brush against his son's and tried to make sense of what was happening.

"Where am I?... How did I get here? What am I doing in this damn chair?" Charlie asked, turning to look at Amir for answers.

The bunny was looking Charlie with a smile but he was clearly nervous for some obvious reason. The reason was not obvious to the dog though, as he started to slowly gain back his memory.

"For a moment there... I thought I was dead."

That got Ryan's and Dion's quick attention, wondering why he would say that.

"... I... Why would you feel such a way?" Amir asked in concern.

"... Because the last thing I remember... Was..."

The smile faded from the dog's face.

And within seconds it turned into a serious gaze, something that Amir had expected to draw out the moment Charlie would realize what was going on.

Amir spoke.

"You are held in here for people's safety to be brought to trial along with Calvin and Randal within two days."

"... A trial?" Charlie asked, trying to make sense of it.

"... How in the fuck did he get me in here... I was about to... I aimed at Randal and-" Charlie stopped talking.

The expression slowly turned within a moment of clarity into aggression, as he now looked at Amir with betrayed expression.

"Your voice. It was you. You were the one yelling behind my back. I don't know whatever you did to me was... But for a moment there, I think there might have been a chance that you shot me in the back with a bullet and killed me. And for some reason, the afterlife was a way less calming than I thought it would be. Rather dark and misty with creepy noises. Not that I think I would have deserved any better place after death, but still... One hell of a substance it must have been you shot me with." Charlie said angrily.

"..." Amir was just quiet, feeling a bit scared under the judging eyes.

"... It was the right thing to do." The bunny said with a very apologizing tone.

"No, it wasn't," Ryan said right away as he tried to tinker with the cuffs desperately, poking his tongue out.

"What was that shit?" Charlie asked after giving a quick look over his shoulder at Ryan, clearly having the same mindset on that matter.

"... Morphine mixed with some tranquilizer liquid that dulls most of the senses. A double dose of what I shot at you would have caused a coma for some time. For your luck, I am a doctor so I knew how much to give you."

"... For my luck." Charlie repeated angrily.

Amir tried not to squirm, fearing that he was going to get beaten up the moment the dog would be free, guiding some of his anger on him.

"... Charlie. You wouldn't have stopped the killing on just Randal. You would have shot Calvin doubted too. In the worst case, you would have shot the guards as well, Mel, Rob, Eli, the men who consider themselves your best friends here-"

Charlie shook his head and spoke.

"You are an idiot if you think I would have shot my friends, I had the situation under control-"

"THAT was having the situation under control?!" Amir asked loudly like it was far from the truth.

"IT WAS. EVERY SECOND OF IT. HE NEEDED TO DIE." Charlie pressed without hesitation.

"Dad... How can you say something that horrible? You always told me that murder is the worst thing in the world to do... Why are you saying such things?!" Dion suddenly said like it even hurt to say it out loud.

Hearing his son say such a thing with a scared tone woke him up from his anger, turning to look at his son who was kneeled next to him, his innocent blue eyes worried and feeling afraid of his father. Mostly due to seeing how angry he was even at this moment, justifying the need to murder someone as a necessity.

Charlie could feel Amir's "told you so" gaze pierce him, but he ignored it, looking at his son and clearing his throat. He sighed tiredly and spoke.

"... Dion... I have raised you to be good, kind and understanding. It's what I wanted for you to be. Because it is the right thing. But Dion... Not everyone is the same. There are people who are born evil or become one along their way of adulthood. They have reasons, some justified and some not. But Randal... You know what he did. You must know by now. People like that... They cannot be allowed to live among people that are good. They wait for their time... And they hurt others. Discreetly or not. And they always repeat it. Hurting those who can't defend themselves. I tried to put an end to it to protect someone. To protect Niles... Because I knew that Calvin would protect him from me. And now because of what you did-"

Charlie stopped, slowly turning to look at Amir.

"He got away with it. For now."

Amir spoke nothing back as Charlie turned to look at Dion again. The young husky clearly was trying his best to understand, and part of him did. But it didn't make him feel any easier. All he wanted was things to get back to normal and his father to be the same loving person he always was. It was like looking and talking with someone much more terrifying personality.

Charlie swallowed a bit, talking with a soothing voice.

"I know you are scared of me. You are scared of what you heard about... And that I was capable of doing all these things. I can't begin to imagine how it feels like to see me here."

"... I am scared of you. And I am scared of them as well. Calvin. Randal. I didn't... I didn't know that... That they were capable of doing anything like this-"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, can you get a grip, brother?" Ryan finally asked, stopping what he was doing and looking like he was about to bring a storm on his brother.

"RYAN! Not time." Charlie commanded, snapping at the fox. But this time, Ryan didn't care, yelling at his father with all the frustration he had.

"WHEN?! WHEN IS THE TIME DAD?! YOU raised us both to believe that everyone is good and holy and that everything around us will be safe in here! DOES THIS LOOK LIKE IT?! Randal tried to kill Niles! You tried to kill Randal! You are tied into a chair with handcuffs, ready to be trialed for being insane and dangerous to anyone! I ALWAYS KNEW THE TRUTH! I knew that Calvin was an asshole, and I knew that something bad was going on between Randal and Niles, even if he was too afraid to tell me! -"

"Listen to me-" Charlie began commandingly, the truth from his son's mouth hurting as he was losing the control over the veil he had set on Dion for a long time, trying to protect his innocence. But Ryan wasn't having it anymore.

"It was only a matter of time before things got shit here or something horrible happened, and you knew it! You always knew it, and you tried to protect everyone from it and pretend that there is some sort of harmony here! The countless arguments you had with Calvin, and you acted like none of them happened! And look where the arguments between you two took us! You are part of creating the mess that you tried to push away for all this time, but now you can't! It's time for my brother to know that the world is not a fucking wonderland, and you to stop treating us for the rest of our lives like we are ten-year-old helpless kits! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT I AM NOT READY TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE YOU?! To hear what you have gone through before you came here?! To hear the truth?! To understand, or to be ready to do what it takes, just like you did with Randal?!-"

"BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT AN ADULT YET, I DO NOT WANT YOU TO BECOME ANYTHING LIKE ME! It is not what your mother would have wanted!" Charlie yelled, his eyes going glassy as he was now panicking, seeing how startled Dion was overhearing Ryan burst his true feelings out this way.

Ryan kept breathing fast and reckless, totally taken by his emotions and Amir being too overwhelmed to say anything in between. All he did was observe, and all Dion could do, was to look at his father and asking with his eyes, if his whole life and his father's personality was based on lies.

The fox finally lowered his voice, asking a question.

"And what about what I wanted? She is not part of our lives anymore. She is gone. And you decided to just raise us to be innocent and blind to dangers and bad things... Acting like you were one all along as well... But you just killed a man. You sent the other to medical bed. You risked your whole life and people's views for you, over protecting my best friend. And you tried to kill a person who had tried to kill him. How... How can you still act as you have never done any of these things before? Or anything like this?"

"..." Charlie could not answer, looking down at the floor in a moment of shame as he didn't truly for the first time in years know what to say.

It was a mixed emotion of sorrow, regret, and pride. Regret from letting everything come to this moment. Regret from not realizing that maybe it truly had been the wrong choice to create this false picture of life to his sons... To his students. Everyone... And pride...

The pride was purely out of the fact that sometimes he forgot how observing and smart his sons could be, in their own different ways. Ryan had opened his eyes to realities and ready to face them... While Dion was still in shock. It was going to be painful to tell Dion how things really were. About everything.

"... Just say something." Ryan begged after a long-winded silence, sounding almost desperate to hear his father's voice.

The old husky looked at his fox son and then at his husky son with almost defeated gaze, tired and apologizing.

"... Ryan... You deserve to know the truth. You and your brother, both. You always have, and now I see that I can't linger it any longer."

Suddenly the rabbit cleared his throat and spoke.

"Charlie is right about one thing. No matter what you three need to discuss... We need to get you off that chair. As a touching moment as this is, we need to come up with the plan of how to get out of here."

Dion and Ryan were both quiet, looking at each other and knowing that it should take priority, over the curiosity of what was going on with their father.

Suddenly, Charlie spoke in confusion.

"Wait... But if I am waiting for a trial... There is no way that any of you are allowed in here. Calvin would never let any of you see me! Let alone trying to tinker with these cuffs. And where are the guards? How did you all get past them? Amir, explain or I am losing my mind here more than I already am!" Charlie spat out, starting to feel paranoid now and gazing at the door they came from.

"Calvin let me come to see you personally. He does not know that your kids are here with me." Amir said calmly.

"... Why would he let you see me after what I almost did to Randal?" Charlie asked.

The bunny actually gave a small smile, Charlie raising an eyebrow and not knowing what on earth there would be a reason to smile at this moment.

"Charlie, not everyone is as dumb as you think. Calvin managed to make everyone swallow the idea of you being the threat... But not the guards. Do you really think that I would betray you? Mel? Eli? Rob? After all these years?"

"... I don't... Understand-"

"Rob and Mel fetched Niles from my clinic after you got stunned. They saw the blood. They saw the stimpak. They even checked Niles's leg and saw the needle scar. They knew something was up. I wouldn't tell them at the moment before talking with Calvin first, demanding to know the whole truth. After Mel and Rob were kicked out for defending you and asking too many questions, I talked with Calvin. He confessed, Charlie." Amir finished, feeling rather self-satisfied over having squeezed it all out of Calvin by himself.

".... He... You saying that he-"

"Admitted everything. To Randal trying to kill Niles and him trying to frame you to look mentally ill." Amir nodded.

".... Why? Why would he confess that all to you and let you leave alive?" Charlie asked like it was impossible.

"... Well, he did try to threaten me with your gun at one point... But we both know as he does... He is not a killer."

"... Mh. Not yet at least. But you didn't answer the question." Charlie muttered, mostly annoyed that Calvin had his personal firearm in his possession without realizing its history. A man like Calvin didn't deserve to hold the gun.

"Because he owed it to me and knew it. He was responsible for almost killing me. Xavier and Elliot... The reason they had guns was that they were holding me and Niles hostage, forcing us to lie in the interc-"

"I FUCKING KNEW IT! CALVIN YOU SCHEMING PIECE OF SHIT!-" Charlie yelled in anger, making Dion scoot back in a scare when Ryan just smiled overseeing his dad so furious. Like it was something he had never witnessed before.

"D-dad, please calm down..." Dion begged, Charlie, trying to breathe to steadier and not let anger take control.

The old dog then spoke.

"Anyone else knows?"

"Eli. Because I just told him. He was the one guarding your door. Left rather quickly after I told him. And... Well, these two of yours here know, since Ryan here already made it rather clear." Amir stated.

"... If Eli knows, he most likely has told Mel and Rob the whole truth already." Charlie said in thought, looking around the room restlessly.

"Most likely yes, although I advised against it," Amir said worriedly.

"... Why the fuck would you advise against that?" Charlie asked in confusion.

"... So they wouldn't do anything irrational together... Like... Hurt or possibly kill Randal." Amir said like it was clear.

"... And you see that as a problem, how? He needs to die, so he can't hurt anyone else." Charlie said sternly.

Ryan looked at Amir the same way, feeling rather excited that his father was acting this way. While Dion just looked onto the floor, feeling so heavy by heart that his dad was happily welcoming another dead body like it meant nothing.

"... Charlie, we have had ENOUGH violence. This vault needs to stay civil on this whole mess."

"... Thank you." Dion said quietly to be on Amir's side.

Charlie gave Ryan the look to not yell at his brother again over being the peaceful one, talking to Amir again.

"... Wait... Amir... Where is Niles now?" Charlie suddenly asked like it was the most important question he had forgotten in the midst of his anger and confusion.

".... With Randal." Amir sighed.

".... You might want to repeat that." Charlie said like it was the worst possible answer and had to be a bad joke.

"Eli went there to protect him. And Randal knows that the upcoming trial is his last chance to live. Or at least so he thinks. He is under impression that he can still get away with this. So, the last thing he will do is try to escalate and ruin his and Calvin's chances of winning the trial against you by hurting Niles again. You know that it would be insanely stupid. Randal is doomed to be executed or banished but the fact is he doesn't know it yet. Unless Eli opens his mouth on the matter. But whatever happens... Niles is safe."

"... Fuck it, get me off these cuffs, please. Right now. Find a hammer or something." Charlie said after not relying on guesses or anything Amir kept pouring out of his mouth.

"What? Charlie, no. We are not here to release you. You are waiting for a fair trial." Amir started hesitantly.

"What?! Fuck the trial! Are you out of your mind?!" Charlie yelled in the chair, Ryan also looking at Amir like he was going to punch him soon for playing into Calvin's pocket.

Amir now laid his paws on Charlie's shoulders, taking his attention and speaking sense into him.

"Charlie, you will WIN THAT TRIAL! There are so many guards that can vouch for you, along with me and Niles taking the stand! And all the evidence against Randal will make him lose. Don't you see it?! You do not need to act harshly or fend for blood when you will win the right way! All you have to do is sit here till the trial takes place. We will get you food, and possibly a key, if Calvin allows-"

"HOW CAN WE GET A KEY, AMIR, IF WE ARE FUCKING LOCKED UP IN HERE?!" Ryan interrupted Amir with a frustrated yelling.

"Wait, locked? What do you mean, Ryan?" Charlie asked right away.

"T-there seems to be some malfunction error that happened to the door when we came in here. The panel is broken." Amir said nervously, knowing how suspicious it sounded.

".... HAPPENED TO BREAK?" Charlie asked, starting to realize the situation.

"D-dad, why are you looking like that? What's wrong?!" Dion asked worriedly, seeing the panic on Charlie's face.

The bunny nervously muttered.

"Charlie, I know that it sounds weird. But it had to be just a systematic error. I'm sure that someone from the outside will get it open soon enough-"

Ryan threw his paws in the air and groaned.

"Bullshit! I heard someone break it from the other side, there is no malfunction error! That is why we need to break dad free because he might know how to open it! I am not going to spend two days in here without able to see Niles-"

Charlie's eyes widened as he looked at Ryan right away, speaking fast.

"Did you say that it was broken by someone? Are you sure?"

"I-I am pretty sure that someone hit it with something! The chances of that door breaking down are possible since this place is unmaintained as hell, but still, it just seems a bit too convenient. But Amir kept babbling even then that Calvin wouldn't be behind it." Ryan said but sounded unsure.

"Charlie, stop jumping to conclusions so harshly, that is what got you here in the first place! I'm sure that we get out in time-" Amir said until the dog's ears perked up.

"WAIT!" Charlie suddenly yelled, scaring everyone.

Amir let go of Charlie, all of the three looking at Charlie in question as the dog looked alerted with wide eyes.

"Listen!" Charlie hissed.

All of the three started to listen in confusion, staying still and perking their ears up.

And they heard it now. Echoing, distant... But not too distant to be far away.

Gunshots.

Lots of them. One after another nonstop.

The terror fell on Amir's face, Dion looking at his father horrified, Ryan, steeling himself and running to the door and locking it fast as he could by press of a button.

"D-dad? I-it's coming from upstairs! S-someone has opened the door." The young husky said, starting to shake as the gunshots wouldn't stop echoing still.

And at that moment, Charlie turned to look at Amir in the eyes, the bunny swallowing and realizing his foolishness.

"Not just someone... Those are multiple guns shooting right now." Charlie said without a doubt.

Amir started to shiver, looking as Ryan was tinkering the lock and muttering scared curses, yelping at Dion.

"Brother, find me anything I can use as a weapon!"

"No, Ryan! You have to hide! They will shoot you! Hide with your brother! Do as I say!" Charlie commanded with such a caring and worried tone that Ryan yelled back equally the same.

"I am not letting them hurt you!"

"RYAN! LOOK AT ME!"

The fox turned to look at his father as he backed away from the door, the gunshots fading already and multiple sounds of yelling coming from upstairs.

"Take your brother. Hide. Now!"

"But we need to get you free! -" Dion began, starting to cry.

"There is no time! DO AS I SAY! BOTH OF YOU! THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT YOU ARE BOTH HERE!" Charlie yelled, sounding desperate and feeling fearful more than ever for his son's lives, his mind working as hard as it could to figure out what to do.

Ryan and Dion ran quickly behind a water boiler tank in the corner of the room, trying to be out of sight as best as they could.

Amir was too scared to move, looking at the door like he was frozen on the spot, just listening to the approaching sounds.

The old dog spoke at the bunny with an emotional tone, piercing him with his gaze.

"See clearly now, Amir? Calvin has played you all along, as he played me. There was not going to be a trial the moment you left his office with his confession in your head. You better figure out a way to get me off this chair and do it quick... Because it seems like the trial is taking place right here and now. And I am not going to fucking die today."

THE END