Sly Fox (Diane Foxington x Original Character)

Chapter 3 - Rehabilitation

Third Person Perspective
Thursday, 14/07/2022
Roasted Beans Café, Los Angeles, California, USA

"So you really think Marmalade can turn the Bad Guys good?" Misty asked Diane, the two sitting in a cozy coffee shop on the main street of the city. Neither were in work clothes or formal attire, despite their high-ranking positions.

"I've got complete faith in the Professor to turn them into good samaritans. That Swift fox, though..." Diane trailed off, taking a sip of the hot chocolate in front of her and sighing before she continued. "I don't exactly think he meant to tie in with the Bad Guys."

"What do you mean, Governor?" Misty asked, setting a strawberry glazed donut she was about to bite down on her plate. "He was clearly trying to join them! A crook, through and through-"

"Misty, please." Diane deadpanned the Chief of Police, causing her to stutter and her sentence to fade into mumbling before finally silencing. "Thank you. What I'm saying is that he is, by all accounts, a law-abiding citizen. He's got no charges against his name, no aliases, and no criminal record." Diane sighed.

"So what does this have to do with the Bad Guys, then?" Misty asked after swallowing some of the donut, which she had picked up while Diane was talking.

"I don't want Redthorn to go to Marmalade's mansion with the Bad Guys. By all accounts, he's innocent, and just made some bad choices in the moment." Diane explained, propping her elbows on the table and clasping her paws together.

"Okay, but what if you're wrong and he's actually a criminal? We can't just let him go on a gut feeling that he's innocent." Misty asked, causing Diane to go into deep thought for a moment.

"Alright, alright... How about this: he stays with me and acts as a secretary of some sort. That way, I can keep an eye on him if he's a criminal." Diane suggested. Misty seemed to go into thought for a moment now, quietly taking bites of her donut until it was finished and she had come to a conclusion.

"I'll trust it, Diane. But it's only 'cause I trust you." Misty said, popping the last bit of donut into her mouth before standing up. "Contact him and tell him not to get out when their car stops at Marmalades. I'm sure you'll handle the rest from there."

With those words, Misty left the coffee shop and drove away, presumably to get back to her regular schedule and work. Diane just sat there for a while before skulling the rest of her hot chocolate and pulling her phone out, opening Swift's contact and relaying him the instructions.

Swift's Perspective
Marmalade's Mansion, Los Angeles Outskirts, California, USA

"So you think this whole rehabilitation stuff will actually do anything for you guys?" I asked the crew, who all shook their heads rather confidently.

"No way would we get rehabilitated, let alone by some pompous, rich guinea pig." Snake declared, looking out the window at the slowly approaching mansion. "Besides, we're the best criminals since the Crimson Paw. The only reason we aren't back at the hideout eating push pops is that Shark couldn't keep the Golden Dolphin between his damn legs."

"Hey, that was not my fault! How was I supposed to know that gold statue was so slippery and polished?" Shark snapped back, baring his teeth menacingly at Snake, who hissed in response.

"Hey, hey. Calm down, you two." I said to Snake and Shark as a message came through my phone, which had been hidden in my tail since the previous night, after we were arrested.

I awkwardly turned my body around and rummaged through the thick fur of my tail, eventually finding my phone and pulling it out.

"Neat trick," Wolf muttered as he watched me produce the phone, the others all quiet for a moment. "So, what is it? You got a text?"