FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

“Huh… That’s strange,” Storm commented aloud. The rake was usually resting against the side of the Stables along with other tools but it and they were missing.

TJ was passing by so Storm got his attention and asked if the tools had been moved. “Not that I know of,” the pig responded curtly. The clydesdale was made aware of his friend’s annoyed mood. When asking if something was wrong, TJ huffed dramatically. Though he clearly wasn’t in a good mood, it seemed the pig had been waiting for someone to ask. “I can’t find the big wrench anywhere. The water tower’s not working right and I can’t fix it without that specific wrench.”

First the field tools and now a wrench… Storm could have assumed it was a coincidence but something wasn’t sitting right with him.

“Did you find the rake?” Owain asked. Either the bull genuinely didn’t notice the equine coming back empty handed or he asked just to mess with Storm.

“No. It and the others are gone. And so is a wrench TJ’s looking for,” Storm informed them, his tone nearly as dry as the summer heat. The bull raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. Tools were something that the pig actually took seriously. In fact he would remind everyone else to put them back in their proper places.

“Losing the rake is one thing but all of the tools being gone is…weird,” Owain said. “Is anything else missing?”

As if to answer that question, there was suddenly shouting back and forth. Similar voices were going back and forth. Ryan and Riley. The goats were arguing while standing next to the truck.

“You were the one who drove it last. So what did you do?” Riley accused.

“I didn’t do anything! And you know that considering you were right next to me on every trip!” Ryan shot back. “You must have done something while my eyes were on the road!”

“Guys, guys!” Storm and the others approached, getting in between the brothers that looked ready to fight. “What’s going on?”

“It’s the truck. There’s something wrong with it. I mean really wrong. Sometimes it’s a little slow to start but the engine won’t even turn over,” Ryan explained with a tone of frustration.

“Is that what this is about?” TJ asked. He rolled his eyes and motioned for everyone else to step aside. “I’m not a certified mechanic or anything…but I should be able to tell if something’s wrong.” The hood was lifted and TJ looked underneath, his annoyed expression turning into one of bafflement.

“Did you find what’s wrong?” Riley asked with urgency.

“It’s not what’s wrong with the truck. It’s what’s missing from it! Pieces are missing! I think…the spark plug and…” the pig listed more parts that seemed to be missing but the others weren’t listening to that.

“They’re gone? Just like that?” Ryan asked with the same amount of bewilderment that TJ had. “H-how?!”

“First the field tools, the wrench, and now parts from the truck. This definitely isn’t a coincidence,” Storm said aloud. Everyone looked at him, some looking confused but others like Owain were already catching on.

“Maybe these things didn’t disappear out of thin air. It’s more likely they were taken…or stolen would be the better word,” the equine determined.

“How can that be? Wasn’t Sebastian on the night watch?” Riley asked.

“Yeah, he was. And come to think about it, he didn’t come to breakfast this morning,” Owain pointed out. There was a shared silence between them. Nearly all at once they went to the cellar to find the black cat but there was no sign of him. Then they checked Danny’s quarters but he wasn’t there either.

The group split up and started to look for the black cat but there were no signs of him. They started to fear the worst when they all met up again. Everyone reported the same thing; Sebastian wasn’t where they checked. Before panic could set in, they could see someone approaching in the distance. It was Marlo and he was carrying a shaken looking Sebstian. Rushing up, they all but bombarded the two with questions but the huge highland bull called for some space with just a swing of an arm, still holding Sebastian with the other.

The black cat appeared to be unhurt, just spooked from something.

“Where the hell did you find him?” TJ asked, ignoring the looks he was getting from his tactless tone.

“I found him in a crate. On the side of the road,” Marlo said as he carefully put the cat down. “The crate was nailed shut.”

“Are you alright, Sebastian?” Storm asked, kneeling down to meet the cat’s eye level.

“I am now,” the cat said, his voice a bit shaky. He was already feeling calmer, back on the ranch and in the presence of friends.

“How did you wind up in a crate?” Owain asked.

“I caught that rat gang sneaking onto the ranch. I chased them off…but didn’t realize that it was all a trick. More came out and they grabbed me. Next thing I know I was dumped in a wooden box. They told me to keep quiet and they would let me out. I believed them until I heard banging and realized they had nailed the top shut. I couldn’t get out and was stuck in there until Marlo found me.” As Sebsatian recounted the events his fur fluffed up at certain parts. While talking about the crate, his tail swept in front and he grabbed it, gently stroking it in an effort to calm himself.

“They must have stolen all of those things while you were in that crate,” Riley said.

“Stolen? What do you mean?” the black cat asked, his yellow eyes widening even more. He was caught up on the situation and suddenly got a guilty look.

“And I let myself be lured. I didn’t know they were stealing while I was in there. I shouldn’t have chased them in the first place!” the feline whined.

“It’s alright, Sebastian,” Storm soothed. “None of this is your fault. We’ve got to tell Hudson about this.” None were sure how to explain this to their boss, but it had to be done.

Storm knocked on the door and the wolf answered. His eyes scanned the small group and he chuckled a bit. “I assume you’re missing something as well…”

“Yeah, we are,” TJ answered.

“My old radio’s missing,” Hudson told them.

“Radio?” Owain repeated.

On the patio there was a small radio that was always sitting on its own dedicated table. It hadn’t been used because it no longer worked. Hudson had been meaning to fix it for a while but was always so busy. The others could see that the radio was indeed missing from its usual spot.

“That radio was my old man’s. We would go fishing, listen to music and station while out by the lake…” Hudson reminisced. “I’ve been meaning to fix it up but haven’t found the time. And now it’s gone…”

“We’re certain it’s been stolen,” Owain said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Hudson said. “It’s been a long time since the last time we’ve gotten robbed.”

“It was that rat gang. They stole tools and parts from the truck. Not just that, they also locked Sebastian in a crate!” TJ recounted.

“They did what..?” Hudson asked, his train of thought completely derailed.

The cat was encouraged to approach their boss and explain. He walked up to the wolf and gulped. Summoning courage, he told Hudson the same thing he told the others.

“Right,” Hudson said with seriousness in his voice. “I’m gonna call the sheriff.” He went into the house and grabbed a phone, dialing the town sheriff’s personal number.

“An old radio, parts from my truck, various tools…” Hudson was soon lifting off things to the german shepherd over the phone. “And they assaulted one of my employees, putting him in a crate and nailing it shut.”

“I’ll be right over to investigate,” the other canine said. He was true to his word, Sheriff D’Laney arrived and was ready to do some on-site investigating. He interviewed the employees, making a list of the things missing and checking the crate that was still on the side of the road. Hearing Sebstian’s retelling of events, it sounded like all of this was planned in advance.

“They’re certainly going to be charged for that. As for the thefts I still need to be certain,” D’Laney said.

“What do you mean ‘certain’?” Ryan asked. This was an open and shut case as far as he was concerned.

The sheriff pointed his pen at the gold toothed goat. “Make no mistake, I will be paying them a visit for what they did to Sebastian. But when it comes to the stolen items, there’s still a lack of evidence that it was the Razor Crew,” D’Laney spoke sharply, referring to the rat gang by their created name. “It’s unlikely, but there could be another party at play, some other thief taking advantage of their mischief.”

The goat twins groaned; as much as they hated it, D’Laney had a point. The german shepherd saw their frustration and made a suggestion, encouraging them to look for any signs that would connect the rats to the theft. There were a few employees he hadn’t questioned yet. He found Prince in the Stables, the hog insisted he knew nothing more about the situation. The next stop was the barn where Danny, Gordie, and Beau would be found.

The barn itself was a large structure, the biggest on the ranch. So there was a good chance that something would be found inside.

D’Laney knocked on the barn’s doors before entering. He did so just in case they were in the middle of milking. What he found when stepping in were the three all standing close together, looking up at the same thing: the loft of the barn that was used for storage, cluttered with various items.

“What’s going on here?” the sheriff asked.

Danny was the first to look at him. “Oh, hello Sheriff…” He returned his gaze to the barn’s loft that could be reached with stairs. Everything used on a daily basis was kept down below on the ground level. It had been cluttered like that since Danny had arrived but he never paid much attention to the area and neither did anyone else unless something needed to be fetched.

“There’s something moving up there.” At first the young man had thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But he had seen it twice, the moving of objects and then there was a clatter of something falling.

“And it sounds big,” Gordie added. The bulldog’s expression was firm but the quaver in his voice betrayed him.

“Maybe it’s just a squirrel…a really fat one?” Beau asked.

D’Laney took it upon himself to investigate. Like the barn itself, the loft was large as well, more than big enough for someone to hide in. In fact it was spacious enough for someone to live with plenty of room if things were cleared away. Many things were stacked but in an organized fashion. There was an open path right in between that he could walk down. While doing so he searched around corners and peered into gaps that were big enough for someone to fit inside, making use of his flashlight.

Something caught his eye when he reached the end of the loft. There was also a slight ruffle. His trained senses caused him to react right away, shining his flashlight right in between a pair of large chests. The light revealed someone, a grey rat that gasped and pushed himself back against the wall, but he could go no further. There was nowhere for him to go so he surrendered. He was pulled out by the sheriff and brought back down to the lower level in handcuffs.

The rat was sat down in a chair as D’Laney started to question him. Word quickly spread and the others were gathering in the barn to see, but kept themselves at a distance and stayed quiet.

“What were you doing up there?” the german shepherd questioned.

The rat kept quiet at first, looking conflicted more than anything else. “T-they left me…” he muttered.

“Who left you?”

“The others,” the rodent responded. “I was given a signal when the cat was distracted. I got some parts from the old truck while others were also grabbing stuff. After getting what we needed, I thought we were going back. But something had happened and I was told to hide until I got a signal to come out.”

“I see…” D’Laney said. With this new info and what he already knew, the canine put the pieces together. The gang seemed to be more clever than he assumed. First taking care of the night watch and also leaving someone behind to take the blame. This rat wasn’t like the others, he could see it clearly. He was somewhat younger, brighter eyed. Of course this could be an act, so he decided to chase this hunch.

“I want to know what you meant when you said you took parts from the ‘old truck.’ The truck you stole from is used daily by this ranch to make deliveries into town.”

The rat had a genuine look of shock.

“I was told that it was just some wreck. That it had been sitting there for weeks. I didn’t know it actually worked!” he told D’Laney.

“It’s far from new but it’s not that bad looking!” TJ interjected with an offended shout, quickly hushed by the others.

“Hmm…” the sheriff hummed aloud. This was all deeper than he expected but one thing was clear; this rat did play a part in the crime but he was also left behind, most likely set up to be caught so the others could get away.

“I have to say, you’re being very cooperative,” he commented.

“Well they left me behind,” the rat said with a flat tone.

“Fair enough. Can I get your name?”

“It’s Flynn…” the rat revealed.

“So Flynn, I assume you haven’t been in the gang long,” D’Laney’s assumption was right. Flynn confirmed that he joined less than a month ago.

“Putting the betrayal aside, you have admitted to trespassing and stealing parts from the truck. That’s enough for me to arrest you.”

Hearing that made Flynn gulp.

“But I’d rather get the meat and potatoes instead of the scraps, no offense… So how about this: you tell me where the gang is and where the stolen things are. If you do that then I can lessen your charge.”

Flynn thought about it. On one hand it was betraying his gang but they had betrayed him first. They were all back at the base, likely laughing and trading stories while he was the one facing jail time. He took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”

D’Laney was driving back to town in his police car with Hudson in the passenger seat and Flynn in the back. The rodent led them past the square and into the less developed part of town. The town expansion project was very slow going; buildings were still set to be demolished. These abandoned structures were the perfect place to house a group like the Razor Crew. Usually they were a nuisance, disturbing the peace and running low level scams, but what they did to the ranch had crossed several lines.

Flynn pointed out an old warehouse. The car was parked and they walked up to it. Looking inside, sure enough, the Razor Crew were inside. Since the building didn’t belong to them, D’Laney didn’t need to announce himself. They all froze when the german shepherd, wolf, and abandoned rat were all at their door.

As best as they could, they tried to act confused, having no earthly idea why the sheriff and ranch owner had come to them. D’Laney looked around: the warehouse looked old on the outside but its interior had been greatly spruced up, made into a place to house the gang. They appeared to be making use of the old benches and tools that had been left behind. If he could recall, this warehouse had once been an industrial workshop.

“I believe you boys lost something, or should I say someone,” D’Laney said as he drew attention to Flynn.

“Hey there, little buddy. We tried to look for you-”

“No you didn’t. I was told to hide and wait for the signal. You all left me behind, Drake,” Flynn called the other rat out. The black furred rat called Drake got a confused look.

“Why did you go hide? And what signal?” Drake asked, his confusion sounding genuine.

“That’s what Vale told me!” Flynn exclaimed. Why was his friend playing dumb? Vale had run up to him, saying that they all needed to hide. He was told to run into the barn. At the same time he could hear the others running as well.

“Vale…” Drake hissed. “Flynn, I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”

“Who is this…Vale?” D’Laney asked.

“He’s the leader. Well the temporary leader. He’s the one who led us to the ranch,” Flynn explained. “Our real leader is Vincent, my brother. But he…got pretty sick.”

“I take he it does things differently?” the sheriff asked.

“Vincent always wanted us to stick together, first and foremost. Sure, he’s fine with us causing trouble here and there. But Vale…he places fast and loose. He never liked that he only took junk.”

“Junk?” Hudson asked.

They explained their meaning. D’Laney and Hudson had expected the rats to fight them off or refuse to say anything, but they were being cooperative.

Apparently they were trying to restore an old car. Of course they had little money to spare on the project so they made do by collecting discarded parts from junkyards, alleys, and other people’s property, but only taking what wouldn’t be missed. Vale felt theri progress was too slow and was vehement that they needed to just take the parts, and not just old tossed out ones.

“From the way you’re all speaking…this Vale isn’t here right now, is he?” D’Laney asked and received unanimous head shakes. “And he’s been less than honest to you guys.”

“Those things you stole from my ranch. The field tools, wrench, and a small vintage radio. That truck you took the parts from worked too!” Hudson informed them. His tone and snarl was enough to make the young delinquents shiver.

“I can get them back. Vale wanted us to take those things somewhere else.” Another rat spoke, an especially lanky one with white fur.

“Lars?” Flynn said the other rodent’s name with surprise. Vale and Lars were best friends. The white rat had become the new leader’s second-in-command and likely knew more than anyone else. “He’s gone too far this time. Follow me.”

The scavenged parts were in the warehouse, piled by the workbenches to be worked on. But the recently stolen things had been put somewhere else. Lars was the only one of them who knew where. He led the way, taking them further into the underdeveloped section of the town, stopping in front of a lone rusty shed. Grass was growing out of control around it and the front door looked ready to fall off at any moment.

D’Laney approached but his ears perked out from the sounds that came from inside. He rushed up, pulling the door open to find the stolen items piled on a table but that wasn’t all. There were two rats fighting.

“Vincent!” Lars exclaimed. The gang’s former leader was fighting the temporary one.

The sheriff and wolf stepped in to break up the fight, keeping the pair away from each other.

“I trusted you to lead and you turned them into thieves!” Vincent yelled.

“We’re never gonna get that car done by just roaming through junkyards for scraps!” Vale spat back.

Vincent looked over to see his brother. Flynn was standing by Lars, his hands still bound by the handcuffs. “W-what happened?” he asked, his tone instantly softening.

Flynn explained the things that happened. How Vale personally selected them for their latest scavenge, that he was tricked to stay behind and take the blame for everything.

“You set my brother up?!” the older grey rat roared.

“Someone needed to take the fall!” Vale admitted. His back was already against the wall. There was no reason to keep it all a secret anymore. “And it would have served as a lesson for the others. They would have needed me to stay out of jail.”

“They wouldn’t be risking jail if it weren’t for you!” Vincent shot back.

“We’re supposed to be a gang! We’re not gonna achieve anything but acting like a bunch of kids in a clubhouse. We have no money so we have to take the stuff we can’t afford! That’s simple logic. I had to lie because the rest of you are delusional!” Vale ranted, his aggression showing fully. “I was going to make us strong, feared. We would have been able to get back at everyone that cast us aside!”

“You’re still not over it…” Vincent said, his expression became one of pity. “So you’re willing to throw your own friends under the bus? How long would that last until you’re the only one left? Wasn’t the point of this gang was to find others like us? To give them a safe place?”

“How long have we been collecting parts? Aren’t you tired of it? The way they look at us, the things they say about us. It doesn’t matter what we do…” Vale said, sounding defeated. “That's why we had to make it work! So we can go…”

“You would’ve just been on the run your whole lives,” D’Laney said. “Never able to relax or settle. I’ve seen it plenty of times. You keep telling yourself that you’re stealing for a good reason but really you’re just justifying your behavior, creating more and more enemies. You’re never gonna get that acceptance you want by stealing what others worked hard for.”

“Fixing the car was never something we were going to do overnight. The whole point was to have fun, finding or making that part we finally needed,” Vincent explained.

“I quit…” Vale muttered. “This was never what I joined for. All I ever wanted was to get away…to prove them all wrong…”

“So you’d rather keep dwelling on the past than move on…” Vincent said, his disappointment being clear cut.

D’Laney put Vale in cuffs. “I think it’s clear who the responsible one is.” The sheriff looked at Hudson. “I believe that you can handle things from here. I need to take him to the station.”

“Hey Vale?” Vincent called out to the rat as he was taken away “There is always a place for you here if you need it.” He offered much to Vale’s surprise.

Vale was first put in the back of D’Laney’s cruiser but before leaving the german shepherd released Flynn.

“Don’t think you’re in the clear yet,” Hudson spoke firmly. He and the other rats who had come were looking worried and ashamed. “If there’s anything that needs to be paid for let me-”

“Easy there,” Hudson interrupted. “Looks like there’s more to you boys than I expected. I’ll admit that I was kinda touched. Seems you’re all more of a family than a gang.”

“But there still needs to be some punishment for trespassing and harrassing my night guard,” Hudson reminded them of their deeds, making them wince. “And it’ll be some good old-fashioned community service.”

The crew were confused by that. They were all expecting something totally different. Maybe even being chased out of town. It wasn’t a secret that the gang wasn’t very liked…

“First you’re going to return the things you’ve ‘borrowed’ and apologize to my night guard. And after that you’re setting up shop,” Hudson told them.

“Huh?” Vincent asked, unable to hide his surprise. And he wasn’t the only one.

“I took a good look at what you had on those benches. You boys have some real talent. Fixing up things and making parts for yourselves. You have no idea how much a service like that is needed around here.” The only way to get things fixed in town was to actually send them off to the city beyond. The charges for the shipping were ludicrous, not to mention the repair fees themselves. The town was in desperate need of a local repair shop.

Hudson explained his eye in detail. All of the rats perked up. Sure they tinkered and fixed things up when not working on the car, repairing items for their own use, but they never considered fixing things up for others.

“You’ll be providing a much needed service and can earn money to get those parts you need,” Hudson told them. “I know you guys have a certain reputation so I’ll vouch for you guys. But you’ll have to work hard to change the way people see you.”

“We understand and we’ll work hard. Give back whatever was stolen,” Vincent told the others. Starting with what had been taken from the ranch. The tools and the car parts.

“I can put those back in for you,” Flynn offered. He couldn’t meet the wolf’s gaze. “I’m sorry for what I did. Even if I didn’t know everything that was happening, I still chose to trespass and I knew it was wrong…”

“Putting those things back would be a good first step,” the wolf said. “Hehe. I never was good with trucks…”

“Hmm, where is my radio?” the canine asked, looking around for the one missing item.

“J-just a minute!” Drake had the radio but it looked a bit different. “This wasn’t put with the others. I didn’t know it belonged to you. I went ahead and fixed it up. My grandpa had one of these and showed me how to repair it. I was gonna keep it, but they say it's yours…uh, sir…” He handed the radio to Hudson.

Hudson grabbed and felt it. In such a short amount of time it was looking like new. He turned it out and gasped from the music that started playing. He didn’t know what to say, just smiling as he flipped through various radio channels, remembering the times with his father. “Why, thank you…”

“Oh, uh…” Drake scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “It’s the least I could do, especially after all this trouble we caused…”

[center]***[/center]

“He’s been at it for a while,” Ryan commented. He, Riley, and TJ had been watching Flynn. His whole upper half was underneath the truck’s hood. A flashlight helped him to see and the sound of tinkering was near constant. “Does it really take that long to put it all back?”

“He could be rigging something, like a prank?” Riley asked with a bit of worry.

“I did that some time ago… I was fixing some of the wiring and cleaning out that muck. It must have really been clogging things up,” the explained from beneath the truck’s hood. Ryan and Riley looked at each other with disbelief.

Finally the rat pulled himself out, covered in various oil and grease stains. “That should do it. Go ahead and start it up.”

They did as asked and it only took one turn of the key to make it roar to life. “Huh?! It usually takes at least three tries!” Ryan said with shock.

“And it’s so quiet now…like it's purring,” Riley was equally surprised, they were used to the engine being very noisy.

“It should drive a lot better too,” Flynn told them with enthusiasm. He enjoyed watching a finished product working the way it was supposed to. “Let me know if there’s any problems.”

“Wow,” TJ marveled. “Looks like I’m not the only one around here who’s good with tools.”

“Thanks but I didn’t do anything special,” Flynn said with a shrug.

“You kidding me? I could never fix up the truck like that. And you did all of that so fast!” the pig pointed out. “You’ve got major talent.”

“I’ll say,” Hudson agreed, approaching and seeing his truck working again. But he didn’t expect it to be running so smoothly. If not for its appearance, the wolf would have thought his truck was swapped out for a brand new one. “You did this?” he asked Flynn.

“He sure did!” TJ answered for him.

“Well, I’ll be…” Hudson marveled. The others saw the look on his face, a look he got when an idea was brewing in his head.

“Y’know. The crew back in town were doing well for themselves. They offered to fix whatever was brought to them for free. They even repaired D’Laney’s patrol bike,” Hudson informed them.

It had been two days since the whole debacle. The Razor Crew had gone on an apology tour of sorts, making things right as best they could. Flynn was doing his part, saying his sorry to Sebastian and then working on the truck. Of course supervision was given as he repaired the damages done. Now acting proactively, the gang had become a force that was more potent than anticipated, fixing things up with apparent ease, making them work even better than they had before.

“You bunch really are just what we needed around here. To think that you’ve been under our noses the entire time. Now I’m thinking that it would be handy to have someone on-site for repairs.”

“Wait, are you offering me…” Flynn dared to ask. “A job…here?”

“If you’ll take it,” Hudson nodded. “There are a lot of things that could use some sprucing up.”

“We have an old tool shed,” TJ nodded. “You can get a lot of use out of it if you’re willing to spruce it up. Maybe you can make it into your own little workshop?”

“I…I don’t know what to say…” Flynn admitted. “I would love to work here, especially for you.” He was grateful to Hudson for giving him and the Razor Crew a chance in the first place. And could he turn down the allure of an entire workshop?

“Welcome to the crew then. Our very own mechanic,” Hudson said, making it official. “Come on, we should tell your brother.”

Flynn nodded and they climbed into the truck after the twins hopped out. In truth, Hudson was excited to drive the truck in its new state. It ran smoothly and drove better than before. The wolf was beaming the whole ride towards and into town. Flynn felt flattered from the continued praise he received.

They made their way to the warehouse; the exterior was revamped, making the place a lot more inviting and the Razor Crew were still busy fixing up the things given to them. After fixing things for free they were doing so for a fee. Since they did good work the townsfolk were willing to pay for the services. Giving their customers a completely fixed product was quickly mending their reputation. The praise and thanks for these job-well-done’s were finally making them feel like a part of the town.

“You’re pretty late,” Vincent said when he saw his younger brother. “I assume you went the extra mile again?”

“I couldn’t help myself,” Flynn said, chuckling a bit sheepishly.

“Your brother’s made my truck like new again,” Hudson praised. “I was so impressed that I offered him a job right there and there. And he’s taken the offer.”

“You got hired?” Vincent asked, his tone full of pride.

“He’ll be the ranch’s mechanic. Don’t worry. We give meals, housing, and he’ll be surrounded by good folks. And of course you’re welcome to visit,” Hudson offered.

“I hope that’s okay,” Flynn said. He had already accepted the offer without asking his brother first.

“I’m more than okay with it! It’s about time you get out and do your own thing. Just remember that there’s always a bed here for you if you need it,” Vincent said and Flynn actually teared up before hugging his older brother.

The other rats found out and wished Flynn well too, saying their goodbyes and apologizing for what he went through. Flynn didn’t hold it against them. He had trusted Vale as much as the rest had. He wished them all luck as well. Once everything was settled, he and Hduson were driving back to the ranch. Upon returning, the ranch found the other ranch members waiting for him, welcoming him to the crew.

TJ took it upon himself to lead the rat to the old toolshed. “It’s pretty rundown but it’ll look good after some sprucing up and repaint.”

“It’s perfect…” Flynn said, stepping inside, already seeing its potential.

[center]***[/center]

Working hard to repair items and their reputation, the Razor Crew were able to afford the last few parts they needed. With the progress already made, they managed to completely repair the car. It was given a custom paint job and ran well despite its makeup being mostly of used parts. They had finally achieved their goal.

But things were different now. That desire to just drive off and leave the town behind was gone. None of them would have ever expected it, but indeed the town had finally become their home. They were appreciated and had even gotten to know some of their fellow townsfolk. The service they provided would be sorely missed upon their departure.

So they decided to stay instead. Many were happy and relieved by their choice. The Razor Crew kept their name, originally chosen because it sounded cool, and rebranded their image and found their place. The money they made also helped with properly renovating the warehouse. They also purchased a smaller one that they could fix up as housing for them.

Vincent was glad that he and the group had achieved what they were looking for. And he was also happy to know that Flynn had found his place as well. He owed a lot to Hudson and trusted him to look after his brother.

[center]***[/center]

“It’s looking pretty good,” TJ commented. He and Flynn had been working together on the toolshed, restoring and converting it into a proper workshop. Their ways of fixing things up were different. TJ had a more practical style and Flynn was more experimental. When an unavailable part was needed, the rat would just take the time to make it by hand. The others pitched in when they could, being impressed with Flynn’s skills as well. By working together, they were able to complete the workshop much sooner than expected.

“Well, now it’s done. What are you gonna do now?” TJ asked.

“I’m gonna get to work,” Flynn said, walking right in. He had a lot of ideas of how to fix other broken things or how to improve already working devices on the ranch. The pig was left behind, looking rather surprised before he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

“It does take a lot of weight off my back…” he said to himself, going off to find Owain. He gave another look back at the rat. He was already working on another project. “And he’s pretty cute too.” Working so closely with Flynn allowed him to get a really good look at him. He actually made TJ freeze by taking off his shirt after sweating so much.

Giving the newcomer the time he needed to just, TJ was already hoping to have some private time with him. “Hehe…gotta show him some of our special hospitality.” But for the time being he could make do with someone else. Flynn had been unknowingly teasing him for more than an hour with his body. All riled up, the pig knew that Owain was likely needing some after work relief.

“Hey, Flynn…just make sure to take a break or Hudon will likely drag you out and make you,” TJ called back. He quickly found out that while Flynn was very talented, he could get sucked into his work, focusing solely on a project that had his interest, ignoring other things around him, including the amount of time that was passing.

“He wouldn’t really do that,” Flynn said to himself.

“You’re damn right I would,” Hudson said, making the rat jump. “So don’t make me, okay?” He gave Flynn a stern look then smirked and winked.

“O-okay,” Flynn chuckled, deciding that it was time to take a break.