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Once Upon a Time in England Part 6 by foxgamer01 (critique requested)

Once Upon a Time in England Part 6

Blondie groaned, his neck feeling tight as he lifted his head up. He wiggled his hands and feet-paws, only to find them restrained along with his chest. A hand rubbed underneath his neck, and he snapped his eyes open. River leaned over him.

“I must say, for an REA leftover, you are mighty tough,” River said, having a smug grin, her eyes gleaming. “But not tough enough for my other project.”

Blondie glared at her, opening his jaws with each tooth gleaming, but River wagged her finger.

“Ah, ah.” River reached into her suit’s pocket and pulled out a switch. “One bad move, and you’ll be headless.” Blondie glanced down and saw a bomb collar strapped around his neck. He closed his mouth while his ears folded back. “Good boy.” She rubbed his ear, with him flinching away. “So, why would someone like you work for FOXWOOD?”

“What makes you think I work for FOXWOOD?” Blondie asked with a snarl.

“I’m not stupid.” River snapped her fingers. A man wearing an exoskeleton suit and Blondie’s hat pushed in a tray with Blondie’s revolver, katana, broken hairclip, gear necklace, belt pouch, and the maps. River picked up the maps and showed them to Blondie. “I made a twenty-four hour time limit for FOXWOOD to return my Sharon, and, not too long afterward, you somehow snuck in deep enough to be in the same room ‘Skyla’ is held.” She flipped over the maps. “You even got this, which you can only receive from my Sharon.”

Blondie clenched his hands-paws tight. “Where is she?”

“Skyla?” River gave a dark chuckle as she set the maps down. Blondie felt the fur behind his neck stood up. “Dead, in a grave next to Sharon’s body after we extracted her mind and digitized it into our machine brain. A shame, too. I was hoping to use her since, based on testing, younger minds can easily survive the mind transfer. But I had to improvise since my accident was too much for her.”

Blondie kept silent for a few seconds, a dark thought forming in his head. “Your accident?”

“Why, of course. It was easy to bribe a Fish & Chips employee to slip sleeping pills into her tea.” River laughed as Blondie glowered at her. “I was so mad at that driver for managing to kill her. ‘Oh, it wasn’t my fault! Skyla and Sharon swapped places, and the brunt of the attack happened to strike her!’ That’s what he said over and over again.” She shook her head. “But I had to make do with Sharon, who was fortunate to survive the mind transfer. And the lab boys were quick enough to make a robotic dummy of Skyla.”

Blondie snarled. “You—”

“Hold your tongue, or else I may cause an accident with your neck,” River said, having a wide grin. “It’s a beauty of hope that I love. No matter how much you push someone, how much they suffer, and how many lines they must cross, as long as they have hope, they’ll do it. And Sharon has done so much for me because she has hope.”

Blondie furrowed his muzzle, his tail became rigid, and his claws pressed against the chair he was strapped on.

“Still, you haven’t answered my question.” River hovered her hand over the tray. She paused over the hairclip when Blondie snarled at her. Her eyes flashed and she grinned as she picked it up. “Why would an REA leftover work for FOXWOOD? Answer that—” she spun it between her fingers, “—and I may return it.”

Blondie remained silent until, through gritted teeth, he said, “Because they allowed me to be free instead of as a slave to someone like you.”

River chuckled before she stuffed it into her pocket. “Good answer. But the real question is: what to do with you? I know a couple of lab workers who would be ecstatic to research you, even if it meant dissecting you down to the cells.” A fire burned behind Blondie’s eyes. “However, you’re much more useful to get my Sharon back, this time as an exchange.”

Blondie remained silent before he laughed, with River raising an eyebrow. “You have already bladdered the truth about Skyla to me! What makes you think I won’t—”

“—reveal the truth?” River tapped the collar around Blondie’s neck. “A single hint, and I’ll make sure that’ll be your last.”

The man in the exoskeleton coughed, and River rolled her eyes before turning around. The man thumbed over to the door, with her having a disgusted look before nodding and walking over. He followed and the two exited through the door. Blondie raised his ears, wiggling them as he closed his eyes.

“He has a point, you know,” the man said behind closed doors. “He might not tell as long as the collar is around his neck, but the moment it’s taken off from him—”

Blondie heard a sharp slap.

“You think I didn’t think of that?! On the surface, it’ll be a prisoner exchange with him and my Sharon. However, before it gets completed, an ‘accident’ involving him will happen, and while FOXWOOD is distracted, we’ll slaughter them.”

“Ahhh! Very clever.”

“As for Sharon, she threw a spanner in the works too many times, which is a massive disappointment. I’ve already proceeded with an upgraded body. I considered her to take over, but I will instead delete her from that brain and scout out for another. The lab boys have made considerable improvements with digitizing and transferring a brain

“But, would they expect it? And would that REA creature try to communicate this plan? For all we know, he might be listening to us.” Blondie wiggled his ears. “If he is comparable with Sharon, that might include hearing.”

“Oh, please. Even if he is, he knows he’ll have his head blown to bits if he tries.”

Blondie frowned and wiggled his claw against the clamps. Just as he wedgd it between the clamp, the gears spun within his head. He stopped and retracted his claw. River and the exoskeleton man stepped back in, her wearing an arrogant smile. Blondie kept a neutral expression while his tail twitched. She pointed to beside Blondie with an air of superiority. The man rolled in a laptop and sets it before River. His heartbeats increased in pace while he steeled himself.

#

Coyote paced within the interrogation room, Sharon leaning back against her restraints, her eyes half-closed. With each passing minure, he sweated more, often pulling out a watch before putting it away. She glanced around at the gray room while twitching her tail. Coyote sighed, pulling up a chair and sitting down on it with a thud.

“It’s been eight hours,” Coyote said, brushing his red hair back. “Something went wrong.”

“Sounds like he failed,” Sharon said. Her ears folded back when he cast a dirty look at her. “Sorry.”

“It’s OK.” Coyote shook his head. “Though I admit that, when I heard Blondie talking about proceeding, despite little hope, I can’t help but be reminded of another friend. I guess that’s another similarity they have.”

Sharon tilted her head, but the door slammed open. Sharon and Coyote jumped from the crashing noise. Vixen rushed in, her expression pale, as she carried the tablet. A black-haired man following close behind while showing little emotion. She grabbed Coyote’s wrist, tugging him close, as Sharon kept silent while raising her eyebrow.

“I must say, I’m so impressed by FOXWOOD’s tenacious nature,” River said through the tablet. “But even that has limits, I’m afraid.”

“What is it now?” Coyote asked, crossing his arms, though his tone suggested that he knew the answer.

“I’ve captured your REA leftover, and I want a prisoner exchange. For my Sharon, you can have him back.”

A second passed and Coyote sighed, lowering his head. The black-haired man closed his steely sky-blue eyes as though deep in though. Vixen turned away, shaking her head. Sharon tapped against the restraints while grinding her teeth. The black-haired man opened his eyes and glanced at her before nodding.

“Yes, my dear Sharon.” River chuckled, with Sharon shaking her hand-paws. “He is alright if beaten up. No thanks to you, though. I’m so disappointed in how you try to betray me. Don’t you want your dear sister to live? Maybe I should—” Sharon tapped against the clamps more frantically, and River laughed. “That’s a good girl.”

Coyote’s expression darkened, the room shaking somewhat. “So, exchanging Blondie for Sharon?”

“Why, yes? Unless you want it between Sharon and Skyla.” River laughed again, with Sharon blinking with doubt on her face. “Of course, that will mean we’ll have to dispose of Sharon, likely by recycling her parts for the next version. Meanwhile, this REA leftover you called Blondie? I wonder what secrets we can find by opening him up.”

Sharon opened her mouth, horrified as she imagined a steel collar around her neck that was connected to a chained leash that River held. Coyote and Vixen glanced at each other, resigned. Meanwhile, this black-haired man remained expressionless. Sharon nodded at Vixen, who sighed while her shoulders sagged.

“Then it is agreed,” Vixen said, her voice hollow.

“Very good,” River said. “Then come by noon, and we—”

“If I may interject,” Blondie said through the tablet, with Sharon perking up. “There is one that I need to talk with. Alone.”

Coyote nodded in understanding, sprinting out of the room.

“And why should I agree with it, my dear prisoner?” River asked with a hint of scorn in her voice.

“He is the closest person I have to a father,” Blondie answered, with Vixen and the black-haired man nodding, stepping around the table for Sharon. “He must be worried sick, especially since he’ll be expecting me at the range.”

“I didn’t think you’ll be affectionate.” River laughed. Vixen grabed the wheelchair and pushing Sharon out. “Still, I’m not without compassion. So I’ll grant this meeting, but make it quick.”

Sharon flattened her ears even as the black-haired man led Vixen and Sharon out the door. Footsteps came from the side and Sharon twisted around, blinking. Coyote and a fair-haired man sprinted beside each other. The fair-haired man rubbed against his shaggy hair, his face as white as a sheet, before stopping before Sharon, blinking at her. Coyote patted his shoulder, his shirt gray, and he inhaled, stepping into the room.

Coyote closed the door behind him. Sharon lowered her head, with her ears folded forward. But the black-haired man patted Vixen’s shoulder and pointed beside the door. She nodded and set Sharon next to it. She blinked, wiggling her ears as voices came from within the room.

“Hello, Mr. Tolle,” Blondie said, his voice calm.

“My God!” A collapsing sound coming from within. “You look terrible.”

“I’ve had worse,” Blondie said. “It’s a shame we’ll have to postpone the range practice.”

“Indeed. I was looking forward to what trick shots you’ll pull off today.” Mr. Tolle’s voice shook. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“When I met you, you were once a college student about to start his future,” Mr. Tolle answered. “And I took that away from you, even your memories, and helped make you what you are.”

“Mr. Tolle—”

“I thought I could stomach it, but I couldn’t. So this is why, after we rescued you from becoming a slave supersoldier, I helped take care of you. But here you are, working for FOXWOOD. I’m so sorry.”

“Mr. Tolle, there is nothing to apologize for,” Blondie said, though Sharon thought she heard a faint crack in his voice. “If it was someone else at REA, they would’ve kept me instead for life. But, instead, you and the others allowed me to escape, which I can never repay you for. Besides, I’m working for FOXWOOD of my own free will.”

“Oh, Blondie.”

“And, if you don’t mind, I want you to help her.” Blondie’s voice became sharp. “Don’t let her fall for the same path Gorlim fell for.”

“Blondie?”

“That’s enough,” River said, cutting in as Sharon dug her claws into the wheelchair’s handles. “You have taken so much of my time. I’m sure you’ll have plenty more once the exchange is over. Thank you.”

Sharon leaned her head back, feeling it spinning before glancing at the other three. Coyote rubbed his chin, his gaze elsewhere, as the black-haired man closed his eyes, keeping his arms crossed. Vixen approached and patted Sharon’s shoulder. She flinched from the touch before relaxing, and she sighed.

“We are similar,” Sharon said, more to herself than with the others. “If, during that night—”

“No use crying over what could’ve been,” Coyote said, setting his hands on his hips. “Still, there’s little we could do.”

Sharon nodded before glancing at the door. “If you don’t mind me asking, who’s Gorlim?”

#

“It’s nothing more than an in-joke,” Blondie answered, River fidgeting her finger against the switch. “A joke between myself and her.”

“I didn’t think you would have a girlfriend, given your physique.” River poked his flat chest. “But I never like it when I’m out of the joke. Now, please explain how it’s a joke and not a message, especially since this ‘Tolle’ is just as confused as I am.”

Blondie flattened his ears back. “She and I, we’re Tolkien fans. We read everything about his work, the world he created, and the languages he invented. But, she also worries whenever I do something reckless, like here, and would stop at nothing to rescue me, even swearing that she’ll die of grief if I got killed. So, as a little in-joke, I tell her to not fall for the ending that Gorlim ended up in.”

“I never even heard of this Gorlim.” River shook her head. “And I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.” Blondie glared at her, but she twisted around to the exoskeleton-suit man, who held his smartphone out. “What are you doing?”

“Double checking, and he is correct. Gorlim is a character that Tolkien created,” the man answere. River blinked. “He even has his own page in the fan wiki.”

“And Gorlim never appeared in those stories you mentioned because he lived in the First Age,” Blondie said, though he flinched.

“Huh. Interesting.” River huffed but pocketed the switch. “No more ‘in-jokes.’ Alright?”

Blondie nodded, but the man frowned at his smartphone. “Perhaps I should research who this ‘Gorlim’ is anyways—”

River yanked the smartphone out of his hands. “And I want you to pay attention since that leftover still killed one of my men! I’ll need to find a replacement and arrange for surgery.”

“Right. My mistake.” The man nodded before glaring at Blondie. “And I should repay you for what you did.”

The man approached Blondie before swinging his fist back and punching him in the stomach. Blondie winced, coughing out blood before lowering his head. The man laughed and walked away. River smirked before rubbing Blondie’s bomb collar, the lock on the back extending out a few inches. He lifted his head, staring at the man’s back while clenching his fists tight.

#

Blondie, River, and four guards wearing exoskeleton suits stood in front of the MFS’s research facility gate. Several more guards hid behind the wall. The wind blew low with a chill. River checked her watch. The time displayed 11:53 AM. An exoskeleton-suit man smirked at Blondie, tipping Blondie’s hat to him. Blondie gazed ahead and ignored him. Outside of the bomb collar, nothing restrained him. He kept his breathing relaxed.

The seconds counted down. Another exoskeleton-suit man paced while spinning his thumbs. He stopped when the one wearing Blondie’s hat glared at him. Blondie narrowed his eyes into a squint and twitched his fingers. River turned to him and smirked.

A van with a car following appeared from a distance. River smirked while rubbing her fingers on the collar’s switch. The two black vehicles ahead stood out in a green and brown surrounding. They stopped in front of the gate thirty feet away and Coyote and Vixen stepped out of the car.

Vixen glared at River, who returned with a smirk. Vixen and Coyote stepped toward the van and opened it, its door sliding open. Coyote stepped in, and pushed out Sharon, still clamped onto a wheelchair, her head lowered and with a small suitcase on the back. He pushed her forward before stopping fifteen feet from River’s group.

“I’m so glad you agreed to come,” River said, her teeth shining in the sunlight. “I have yours, and you have mine.”

Blondie steadied himself, glancing at the cart carrying his stuff as the one wearing his hat laughed. Coyote nodded, and with a quick button press, the clamps released. Sharon got up and rubbed where the clamps restrained her. One of River’s guards pushed the cart forward, setting it in the middle, before turning back. Sharon remained still, her head still low. River laughed.

“Come, Sharon,” River said, and Sharon lifted her head. “You know you cannot disobey. Don’t you care about your dear sister?” Sharon nodded, clenching her fists, and River sneered. “Good girl. Though that reminds me. There was another one, correct? Where is he?”

“Thunder Jackal is off doing important work,” Vixen answered, and River frowned.

“Now, isn’t that a shame? Especially since he seemed like my type of guy,” River said as Blondie rolled his eyes. “Now, come.”

Sharon inhaled, stepping forward, each step landing hard against the ground until she paused by the cart. The man wearing the exoskeleton and hat shoved Blondie forward, with him stumbling before steading himself, and he strode over to the middle as well. Sharon and Blondie stood a foot from each other, Sharon reaching up to the collar and tapping against it.

Blondie kept still, much like a statue, as River lifted an eyebrow. “Sharon. Come here.” Sharon flicked her tail. “Why bother with that leftover? He preven—”

A muffled shot came from a distance, with Blondie and Sharon twitching their ears in reaction. A moment later, a .338 round came, piercing through the lock on Blondie’s bomb collar. Sharon gripped the collar tight before ripping it off and tossing it aside. River gasped, flicking the switch, but it was already several feet away when it exploded, its fiery burst impacting the ground.

River widened her eyes in horror. “What is this?!” Vixen whistled, and both car and van doors opened, with multiple FOXWOOD agents in armorsuits getting out, each behind a vehicle and pointing their rifles at River’s group. “We had a deal!”

“And we should believe the one whose reactions to any resistance is blackmail and murder because?” Coyote asked as Blondie grabbed his revolver and katana off the cart, stepping back to the vehicle covers.

Sharon remained still, her fists clenched tight, and River calmed herself. “Sharon. You know that this will mean your sister’s life is forfeit.” She pulled out her smartphone. “So, unless you want your sister’s dead—”

“My sister is dead,” Sharon said, her voice cracking as River paused, blinking, with the other guards stunned. “She’s been dead since that accident, and you tricked me. Making me believe that she was alive, monster!”

“S-Sharon,” River said, turning pale as Sharon stepped back to FOXWOOD’s side, standing by with Blondie. “I-I don’t know what you’re—”

“I was a fool to hope that she survived,” Sharon said, her voice sharp. “I should’ve realized the truth.”

River said nothing for a few seconds. Then, with rage boiling over, screamed., “KILL THEM ALL!”

At once, River’s guards rushed out the gate. They aimed their guns and fired, with FOXWOOD firing their own in return. Another .338 round zoomed in, ripping through a guard’s neck before he fell, gargling blood. Blondie checked his revolver, with all six chambers empty, and grunted before holstering it and gripping his katana tightly. A bullet came zooming in, and he swung his sword, slicing the round in half before it fell from behind.

With her Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, Vixen fired two shots against a guard’s chest. He stumbled onto the ground. The bullet holes glowed for a moment before fading. His clothes suddenly became loose, and he gasped in horror. His ears shrank, his hair fell off, and his clothes soon engulfed his shrinking body. A second later, a chinchilla ran out from his clothes, and Vixen grinned before firing another two rounds at another guard.

A FOXWOOD agent fell down beside Coyote, a bloody bullet hole in his head, and he grunted. He aimed his S&M 44 Magnum Model 629 at a guard beside River. He fired, his aim steady despite aiming with one arm, and the bullet ripped through the guard’s chest, coming out from behind and crashing against a wall. Blood splattered from behind, and he fell down. Beside him stood a skunk, which ran out from another guard’s clothing.

River stood beside multiple fallen guards as she shook in disbelief. Blood soaked all over her clothes. The remaining four of her forces wore the exoskeleton suits. The one wearing Blondie’s hat frowned before he roared out, charging forward. The other three followed. Blondie leaped out of cover with Vixen and Coyote following. His katana shining cold in the sunlight.

Another .338 ripped through one of the four exoskeleton men at the head, where the suit’s connector met, and he collapsed. The other three kept charging, with the hat-wearing one swinging his fist at Blondie. He leaped back and turned his katana upward. The man grinned and raised his hand up to block the attack. An aura of confidence surrounded him since the electronic gaunglet, plated with steel, would block it. But the sword sliced through, ripping it in half. He screamed in pain, with blood spilling out from his hand. Blondie slammed his fist against his stomach, him coughing up blood in turn.

“I’ll be taking this back,” Blondie said. He snagged his hat back before swinging his katana again. The guard’s head flew off a few feet away with a spray of blood.

Vixen approached another, holstering her gun. The man laughed and cracked his knuckles. He swung his fist at her face. She caught it while glaring at him. He blinked, struggling to break free; however her grip held as she cracked her knuckles. She slammed her fist underneath the right side of his ribcage with cracking sounds coming from there. He collapsed, screaming from the pain. She twisted his arm until it snapped. Pain overwhelmed him and he fell down. She let got of his fist and huffed.

Meanwhile, Coyote grinned as he walked to his opponent. The opponent grunted and swung his leg at him. Coyote caught his foot with his free hand and squeezed, crunching the metal and electronics as though they were aluminum. The guard screamed, tears flowing out. He shoved his opponent to the ground and wiped the blood off his hand. The man reached for the bloody stump of his foot. Coyote aimed his gun, firing a round through the man’s head.

Blondie strapped the belt pouch behind him, with Coyote coming up and taking the gear necklace away. “What’s the plan?”

Before anyone could react, River ran off through the gate, screaming into her phone. “We’re under attack!”

The gate shut behind her and an alarm came through the facility. Blondie twitched his ears while flinching his lips. Blondie, Vixen, Coyote, Sharon, and the other FOXWOOD agents came up to the wall with their backs against it. Coyote gestured with a flat palm at them before he poked his head out from the side. Multiple of River’s guards mobilized, with the rooftop and windows swarming with them. They fired out. Coyote pulled his head back, with bullets zooming by. River went in, her face white and covered in sweat.

“I doubt that Jackal can get all of them,” Coyote said while pulling out his smartphone and calling him. “Still.” Coyote connected with Jackal at the other side and said, “Distract them.”

“Acknowledged,” Jackal said and, two seconds later, a bullet pierced through the rightmost guard on the roof. The other guards up there scrambled, confused while looking out for the shooter. Another bullet zipped by with another guard falling, a bullet hole in his head.

Coyote grinned, pressing against his bracelets before hovering them above the ground. Four blue lasers shot out from his bracelets. A blue outline formed as the lasers went from one end to the next, never leaving the boundaries. Blondie raised an eyebrow, wondering what Coyote’s plan was. It solidified by the second, with a series of long cylinders connecting to each other in a circle jetting out. When the lasers stoppe, he grinned and picked up a large minigun, an ammo belt connected to it.

“You can create more than just swords with them?” Blondie asked, blinking.

“Of course. They have just enough storage space for a few useful weapons like this.” Coyote checked the ammo belt.

“But—” Sharon paused as Coyote glanced at her, “—there’s no way you can fire it without getting flung back by its recoil effect! Your mass wouldn’t be enough.”

“Good thing I have the earth by my side!”

With a mighty yank, Coyote reached for the gate and ripped it off, flinging it far behind. Sharon dropped her jaw, her eyes wide at what she witnessed. He grinned, the minigun spinning as he stepped out from the corner. The MFS’s guards paused as though baffled at Coyote. He squeezed the trigger, with it firing multiple bullets in a second. The ground beneath him shifted as though holding him in place. Ahead, the guards fell, shredded with bullets. A few reacted, but their shots missed. Within fifteen seconds, all of the guards outside fell, each one a bloody mess littered with so much bullets that no one could tell if they were once human or not.

“There’ll likely be more inside,” Coyote said, his bracelets dematerializing the minigun. “Blondie, cover me as I head to their computers. Vixen, Sharon, find River.”

Blondie nodded as he pulled out his revolver and swapped the cylinders with one containing six rounds. He sprinted forward while keeping his aim low. Coyote followed, unholstering his pistol and pointing it to the ground. Vixen and Sharon followed behind them. Blondie reached the glass doors’ remains and stepped over the glass.

The multiple people within, including a couple of guards, paled. They stood frozen as though not sure whether to fight or run. Coyote grunted, stepping around Blondie before reaching behind the desk. He picked up the phone and set it up for a building-wide announcement.

“Now hear this!” Coyote’s voice was loud throughout the building and outside. “Anyone who wants to leave is free to do so! Leave behind anything that you’re not carrying and isn’t essential! Repeat, leave anything that you’re not carrying and isn’t essential! This building will be destroyed when we’re done here!”

Vixen nodded and pulling the fire alarm, which blared throughout the building. Many of the workers there fled past them with the two guards dropping their guns in front of her. Coyote ran down a hallway with Blondie following, his poncho fluttering behind him. A few guards pounced out from a room, firing at them. Coyote ducked down onto the ground. The bullets whizzed past Blondie, who fired three shots at the guards that ripped through their heads.

“Good shot. Though I think I can improve your revolver,” Coyote said. Blondie shook his head as he helped Coyote up. They glanced down the hallway before running forward. Three more guards came out and aimed their guns. Blondie shot them down before they could fire, and he opened the revolver’s gate and unloaded it. Coyote added, “Your funeral.”

#

Sharon and Vixen sprinted up the stairs. Multiple workers rushed past without trying to stop them. A guard fired from above with rage burning behind his eyes. Panic went through his fellow coworkers with a bunch of them screaming. Vixen aimed her pistol up and fired it at the guard’s head. He fell back and out of view. Once they reached the third floor, the two passed by a greyhound wearing a guard’s shirt. The dog barked at them before running down the stairs.

“How are you doing that?” Sharon asked, her tail brushing against the dog’s side.

“Specially made bullets fused with my magic,” Vixen answered, grinning as she went past the door into the hallway. “Killing evil folks seemed too kind. Best to let them live in fear, powerless as animals and hopeless to turn back.”

Sharon blinked. “Jeez, you have a mean side.”

“It’s the Athrú way,” Vixen said, glancing from one end to the other. “Now, where is River’s office?”

“It’ll be at the west wing, near where I had my briefings,” Sharon answered, leading her down the hallway. A guard opened a door in front of her and lunged out. Her body reacted, and she kicked him in the stomach before punching him in the face. He fell with blood oozing out from his nose and mouth. She winced before continuing onwards. “Even now, I’m not used to the AI reacting by snagging control of my body.”

The two continued onward, with Sharon swishing her tail behind her and multiple people running past them. One carried a packet against his chest as though hoping to go unnoticed. Vixen spotted him and snagged it before tossing the contents into the air, the papers flying all aorund before landing. The man tried to retrieve them, but they got tussled around by the fleeing people. He grunted and fled. In a minute, they approached the west wing. Sharon went to the first door, kicking the door down and it landing with a thud.

River sat behind a desk, a small revolver in hand and pointing toward them, her hair ragged. Sharon sprinted forward, grabbing the muzzle and forcing it away. River pulled the trigger and fired at that exact moment. The bullet lodged into the wall instead. Sharon yanked the revolver from her grip before tossing it.

“This cannot be,” River said, her eyes wide as Vixen approached. “H-how? How did you figure it out?”

“‘Don’t let her fall for the same path Gorlim fell for.’ That’s what Blondie said,” Vixen answered, crossing her arms. “And that was enough for us, or rather Jackal, to figure out what he meant.”

“W-what?” River said, leaning back. “B-but that was a message for—”

“Gorlim was one of the twelve companions of Barahir, father of Beren.” Vixen gave a sly grin. “However, he was tricked by the Enemy, who made him believe that his dead wife, Eilinel, was still alive and was taken hostage. He was told he would be reunited with her if he would give up Barahir and the others’ hiding spot. When Gorlim did so, he was told the truth, that what he saw was an illusion, and he was put to death.”

“I didn’t want to believe the implications that message implied when Jackal explained the story,” Sharon said, shaking her head. “But it made too much sense.” She shook her fists before slamming them on the desk, breaking it into two. “You snake!”

Vixen reached over and rubbed Sharon’s shoulders, who relaxed. “Stick to the plan.”

River slid back and lowered her head, drenching it in shadows. “It’s not over.” Her hands clenched against her thighs. “MFS is much bigger than this facility. When my other facilities discover what is happening, they’ll rescue or avenge me. They’ll pressure every European government, and FOXWOOD will be discredited as a terrorist organization.” River let out a mad giggle. “And while you’ll be hunted down by the last man, I’ll be free once more.”

Sharon folded her ears back. “That’s where you’re wrong. In fact, you dug this grave long ago yourself. FOXWOOD is just covering you up at last.”

“What?” River glanced up, a hint of red appearing at the edges of her green-blue eyes. “What are you talking about!?”

“You sent Sharon out to acquire anything you can get to blackmail who knows how many people,” Vixen said. River widened her eyes. “With that in mind, you must have a place to store all that. Coyote and Blondie are searching for it right now.”

“She’ll also have a recording of all of my missions,” Sharon added, pointing at her head as she glared at River. “She enjoys watching everything that I see.”

“And we know the perfect lawyer to send all that data to,” Vixen said, winking. “And we’ll also be sending it to multiple politicians, the media, the MI5 and the like as evidence. Once your dirty secrets get out, MFS will lose all value in the stock market, get torn apart in lawsuits and criminal charges, and you will be in jail for the rest of your life.”

River went limp, lowering her arms as her face whitened more. She opened her mouth in horror with the shine in her eyes gone. Sharon leaned forward and pressed her hand-paw up on River’s mouth, closing it. Her tail wagged, and she stood back, setting her hands-paws against her hips.

“P-please,” River said, her voice toneless. “I-I’ll do anything.”

“Funny. How many have you heard that from your victims?” Vixen asked, rolling her eyes. “But we won’t give you the dignity of that choice. Instead, you’ll be facing judgment, you evil woman.”

River glanced to the side, the revolver lying on the floor next to a wall, and she narrowed her eyes at Sharon. “Do you remember that accident?” Sharon flattened her ears back but nodded, with Vixen tilting her head. “Then I’m sure you noticed a ‘homeless’ man on the way, having a phone out moments before the accident happened.”

Sharon blinked. “There was. But, how did you—”

“That man worked for me.” The room felt much colder, and River let out a bitter laugh. “He acted as a spotter when you came home along the way, signaling for that truck.” Sharon gasped, her eyes widening. “Oh, yes. I arranged for that accident. That sleeping drug was much too strong since I wanted your sister in that body you’re in, not you.” The corner of Sharon’s lips tightened, and River laughed. “It’s funny. If it wasn’t for that, my plan would’ve worked perfectly, and I would’ve gotten someone worth it instead of a failure like you.”

River laughed again, and Vixen’s expressions darkened, her face turning white with rage. She glanced at Sharon, who shook with her entire body, but when she remained standing, she spun around. Then, picking up the revolver and checking its rounds, she marched up to River, who grinned like mad. She pulled back the hammer, the gun aimed at her forehead, her arm steady.

But Sharon grabbed Vixen’s arm, pushing it down. “Don’t.”

“Why?” Vixen glared at River. “You should hate her more than I. Why do you want this evil lady to live?”

“I hate her,” Sharon said, nodding with her tail twitching behind her. “I want to choke her until her face is blue.” She took the revolver from Vixen’s grip. “But Skyla is dead, and killing her won’t bring her back. Besides, killing evil folks seemed too kind, as you said.”

Vixen blinked and nodded, taking a few steps back. River lunged toward Sharon, grabbing for the revolver, and it discharged next to her ear. She screamed, with blood oozing out of her ear, and Sharon pushed her back to her seat. River lay back, dazed, before Sharon reached over and slapped her hard. She fell down and Sharon tossed the revolver away. Vixen stepped forward, going to River’s side and feeling her neck until she found a pulse, nodding.

“She’ll live.”

“Everything alright over here?” Sharon turned around. Coyote and Blondie stepped into the room, with it stinking of blood. She hesitated before nodding. Coyote glanced around before stopping at Vixen. He gazed at her in disbelief. Vixen stood up, her entire body shaking from the deed she almost commited. Meanwhile, River lie unconscious, blood flowing out of one of her ears. “What happened?”

Sharon and Vixen remained silent, with Vixen glancing at the revolver. Blondie stepped forward and patting their shoulders. He said, “You can explain later. We need to head out soon.”

“Indeed,” Vixen said, her voice hollow.

Once Upon a Time in England Part 6 (critique requested)

foxgamer01

Here is part six of Once Upon a Time in England. Enjoy!

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