Sly Fox (Diane Foxington x Original Character)

Chapter 6 - The Other Side Of The Coin

Third Person Perspective
Sunday, 16/07/2022
Marmalade's Mansion, Los Angeles Outskirts, California, USA

In the main meeting room of the mansion, the Bad Guys were sitting discussing some of the more entertaining moments of their previous heists - well, everyone except Wolf was actively a part of the conversation. Occasionally he looked towards the group and agreed with something if they involved him, but he kept more to himself.

He looked deep in thought and was having no less than an internal crisis. Part of him wanted to give being good a try, but another part hated the thought of leaving his friends behind and knew that they would not follow him down a path of good.

"Hey, Wolf." Snake's voice snapped Wolf from his thoughts as the familiar reptile slithered his way over to Wolf. "You alright?"

Wolf furrowed his brow - he wanted to tell Snake about his internal conflict, but he knew he couldn't. He knew that Snake thought there was no redeeming them, and he wouldn't help dull his racing mind. 

After a moment, Wolf relaxed his expression and nodded. "Yeah, just... just a bit of bad sleep, Snake." He nodded at Snake, trying to be as convincing as he could.

"You sure?" Snake asked, getting up close to Wolf's face and peering into his eyes. "Because if this is about that going good thing last night-"

"It's not about the going good thing from last night," Wolf said flatly, rolling his eyes and looking away from Snake. "I'm just... nah, it's nothin'. What do you need, Snake?"

"The gang and I were talking, and as far as everyone is concerned-" Snake trailed off, looking at the group behind him. Wolf tensed up a little in response, expecting something bad from his friend. "-the Golden Dolphin heist is still on."

Wolf let out a silent sigh of relief at Snake's words, relaxing his body again. "So? What's the plan, then?"

"Well, that's the thing- we don't have intel, and usually... you're the one to bring it." Snake continued, looking back at Wolf now. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "What I'm saying is that since Diane has the impression that you plan to 'go good', you need to get by her side and scope out what the Gala's gonna look like."

Wolf nodded slowly, beginning to understand what Snake was getting at. "I'll suggest something that'll get me there to scope out the place the next time she comes by to check up on us. The thing's in like... a week, so we have a few chances to get our plan ready."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Snake spitted enthusiastically, grinning at his friend before slithering back towards the rest of the group. Wolf watched as Snake slithered back to the rest of the gang, who resumed their animated discussion about their past heists. He felt a knot tighten in his stomach, the guilt of betraying his friends gnawing at his conscience. Thinking about it the other way didn't help him either - he felt guilty about wasting Governor Diane's time. He knew that she was putting a lot on the line for him and the others, and if he couldn't get Snake, Shark, Tarantula and Piranha on his side, going good himself was the only course of action he had left.

After not much longer, he decided it was time to get to work. He excused himself from the main room by letting the gang know he had some plans to draw up, then headed to one of the many small offices in the mansion. Inside, he booted up a computer and added a user for himself and got to scouring the internet for details about this year's Gala For Goodness.

Saturday Evening

Wolf was mid-way through typing up cover documents to serve to his gangmates when a gentle rap of knuckles sounded from the other side of the door. He quickly swapped to an open browser with a paused game on it and called out to the person.

"Come in!" Wolf said as the door creaked open and Diane's crimson snout peaked through. "Oh, hello Governor."

"Hello, Mr. Poodleton," Diane said with a sly smirk as she entered the room. "I wanted to talk to you about the Gala."

"What about it?" Wolf asked, his interest piquing. He spun around in his chair to face her, noticing that she was once again in her crisp, grey suit.

"I'd like you to present a speech at the Gala, Wolf," She started, slowly pacing around the room as she spoke. "As a final act of goodwill, I want you to announce to the public that you're deep into the reforming process and talk about how... good it is to be good."

"Me? A speech?" Wolf asked, his head tilting curiously. "I'm not really the speech type, but I... well, I guess I can do it since you asked so nicely. Do I need to write it myself?"

Diane nodded. "It needs to be genuine, so you have to be the one writing it. Otherwise the public won't believe it, and you'll never get that second chance we've been talking about."

"You've got it, Madam Governor." Wolf said with a smile, saluting Diane as she approached the door. 

Diane opened the door and stepped out, then stopped just at the cusp of the hallway beyond. "Oh, and Wolf?" She started, looking over her shoulder at him. "Don't embarrass me, please."

With that, Diane was gone again, and Wolf was left to his own devices. He pulled out a pen and paper and scribbled 'write speech script' below a list of other jobs to do - edit security map, plan heist with deterrent, keep the others in the dark.

He studied the sheet of paper for a moment before his eyes widened, coming to a perfect solution that would deal with almost all of the planning at once.

Sunday Evening, 16/07/2022

Wolf was still hard at work when sunset hit the LA coast. The golden sun cast long shadows in through the wall-length windows, casting a halo of brilliant light around Wolf as he sat at the desk, contemplating his next move. The weight of his decision bore heavily on him as he flipped through blueprints and maps of the Gala venue, knowing that every line and detail had to serve his hidden agenda. The Gala For Goodness was not just a high-profile event but an opportunity for Wolf to redeem himself.

His fingers danced over the keyboard as he flicked between drafting his speech and documenting the ideas and progression of his double-cross. A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Wolf, you in there?" Snake's voice echoed through the door. Wolf quickly shut his laptop and cleared the incriminating papers from sight.

"Yeah, come in," Wolf called out, masking his anxiety with a casual tone. Snake entered, eyeing the cluttered desk with curiosity.

"Got any progress on the Gala plans?" Snake asked, his tone revealing a hint of impatience.

"Yeah, I've got something," Wolf replied, reaching for a stack of documents he'd prepared earlier as cover documents for the gang. "I've been working on a detailed plan for our entry and exit strategies. It's only a draft but this should give us the upper hand."

Snake examined the documents closely, nodding approvingly. "Looks good. When's the Gala again?"

"Next Sunday," Wolf said smoothly, hiding the tension in his voice. "I'll need to be there early to ensure everything goes smoothly. Diane also wants me to present a speech now, which you should see over... here." Wolf pointed to the section detailing his speech and when to move during it to steal the Golden Dolphin without anyone knowing.

"Speech?" Snake asked, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't know you were into that."

"I'm not, but it's just part of the gig now," Wolf said with a dismissive wave. "It's perfect though. It's like Diane just gave me that on purpose!"

With Snake satisfied and leaving to relay the new plan to the rest of the gang, Wolf felt a wave of relief mixed with anxiety. This was it. He had a week until it was time to execute his double-cross.

A/N: I know this definitely wasn't expected of me - first my Ramona Flowers story, and now Sly Fox too? I think I finally got my writing mojo back! 

My new discord server is officially open, and I am actually active in it myself! Find the link on my About page on my profile, I hope to see you there!

Burn Bright & Carry On
Enno