𝐁𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 (Wolf & Diane Foxington)

❶ 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐀 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞

Staring at the fridge, plastered with printed-photo-paper memories of past shenanigans and bygone heists, Mr. Wolf stands still, keenly reminiscing on a sentimental, yet long-forgotten, life of crime. All of them were the same; delightful moments captured in time, featuring the usual crew: Him, Snake, Tarantula, Shark, and Pihrana.

Staring down at the recently produced polaroid between his fingers, a subtle smile crept onto his face as he viewed the latest happy memory with the gang—with one new addition.

Diane Foxington was now thrown into the mix, smiling widely amongst her newly found family in the selfie-esque photo that Wolf had taken of the six of them in their car, right after the infamous "Bad Guys" had been released from jail. The thrill and exhilaration on their faces as they embarked on an open road, their destination set for the city to finally do good after many years of so much bad, had melted off of the polaroid and provided a sense of warmth into Wolf's heart.

Never before had Wolf been such a softie, but there was something about that apricot-tinted, vivacious feline fox that unleashed a new side to him. Make no mistake, in earlier years, that canine was a flirt for a wide range of women, but with Diane, it felt different.

Using one of the kitchen magnets, Wolf had adorned the fridge with the polaroid, adding it to the classic collection of memories; his own personal induction of Diane to the crew. Stepping back and taking a look around, the new city apartment was starting to feel more like a home, now that Wolf had finally put back up all those old photos. After moving out of the former hideout, the fridge collage had been the one thing that he wanted to keep the same. He had done so, but not without a little change.

His smile grew wider at the sight of Diane, now a part of it.

"Lookin' good," the raspy, crank voice of Mr. Snake had echoed from behind him.

"You think?" Wolf looked back at Snake over his shoulder as he slithered his way into the kitchen of their apartment. "I wanted just one little keepsake of our old life, even though we left it behind."

"Yeah, you were always a sentimental bastard," Snake teased, approaching Wolf's side and taking in the view.

"Me? Sentimental?" Wolf scoffed, turning his head and facing his long-lasting best friend with a cheeky smirk. "No, I think you've got your story twisted, bud. I always remember you being the tender-hearted asshole. You just hid it well."

"Please, you both hid your emotions with that incessant bad guy act," Tarantula had remarked, riding the shoulder of Shark as he entered the kitchen alongside Piranha.

"Wasn't an act back then, I can tell you that," Snake responded as the other three had joined them in staring at the fridge.

"We all hid behind something," Wolf commented, analyzing the photos and realizing how much time they had wasted following a fruitless life of crime. "Whether it was thick skin or just—"

"—Anger," Piranha interrupted.

"Denial," Tarantula added.

"And self-loathing," Shark followed.

The five of them chuckled, all recollecting their past capers and notorious crimes with a new point of view. Even if what they had now was drastically different from before, one thing still remained constant. Their bond as a family.

Even though there were times when Wolf couldn't help but mourn the past, he had to admit: "It feels good. Not being feared or hated, constantly."

The others turned to Wolf and gently nodded their heads, absorbing the silence as a moment of peace. Though it meant they had to give up their cherished criminal practices, at long last, they finally weren't being chased or attacked by society. They were safe.

And Wolf had Diane to thank for that.

"Anyone down for a movie night? To break in our new living room?" Shark had suggested, exciting the crew for a moment. "Not, like, 'break-in' break-in, I—I meant, you know..."

"Don't worry, big guy, I gotcha," Tarantula expressed her understanding as they headed over to the door that led to the apartment living room.

"Count me in," Piranha agreed, in pursuit of the others.

"Wolf, you coming?" Snake asked, glancing back at the canine as he followed the pack.

"Nah, you guys go ahead," Wolf raised his arms in the air defensively, taking his exit towards the front door of the apartment. "I've got a date to get to."

"Ah, I was wondering why you were dressed like that," Piranha perceived as the rest of them stopped in their tracks. "Then again, you always wear suits and ties."

"You never know when the occasion may come, Hermano," Wolf slyly crossed his arms, leaning his back up against the door. "Always gotta be prepared."

"Is the lucky lady who I think she is?" Snake assumed with an eyebrow raise.

Wolf's eyes had darted back and forth from his friends to the fridge, where the newly hung polaroid stuck out like a—not sore, but—pleasant thumb.

"I'll leave that one for you guys to figure out," Wolf taunted cunningly, removing his navy blue blazer and tossing it over his shoulder with his fingers still latched onto the collar. "I'll be back by tonight. Or tomorrow morning."

He winked at his crew, opened the front door, grabbed a set of keys from the basket on the kitchen counter, tossed it into the air, caught it, and swiftly slid out of the apartment in a matter of three seconds.

"Haha! I don't get it," Piranha's muffled voice could be heard from beyond the door as Wolf headed out for a night in the city.