Chapter Text
It was a September Saturday with overcast skies dominated by a western wind which swept through the metropolis of Los Angeles, pushing the weather from cold to colder.
Thirteen year old Ethan Landau felt the full force when walking the heights in the Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park. He folded up the collar of the beige jacket, glancing at his company. This company, a certain notorious criminal and yet also a caring guardian, seemed untroubled by the cold as his canine body was built to handle the elements. Instead, he kept pondering the unusual laconicism of the human teenager he had set out to mentor.
"So," Wolf inquired in an attempt to get the conversation going, "how does it feel to be back at regular school?"
"Not particularly enjoyable."
"Something happened?"
"No, just the same old story repeating itself. I am bored and my class mates avoid me. Do you remember my fight during summer school, to stretch the school dress code?"
"The skirts-for-guys thing?" Wolf smiled at the memory of the kid's first major rebellion. "I remember you saying the heat in that building was terrible."
"It was back then, yes. But not anymore. The word has spread and now I am perceived as an even greater weirdo! The principal has her eyes on me too. To her I'm a troublemaker."
"For speaking up when nobody else dared?"
"Exactly! What's the use of trying to do right when everything is turned around to your disadvantage?!" Ethan threw his arms out. "All I wanted was to improve the situation for everybody and now I am even worse off than before. I hate my school!"
Wolf's ears twitched under the hat brim.
"Isn't there anything good going on? How's your friend, Niki?"
"Dunno. He does have other friends, you know, and I'm a poor match so we don't talk much."
"What makes you say that?"
"They are athletes. Jocks! Care to guess their opinion on a bookish shrimp who proposes men to wear skirts?"
"Can't you ask your mom about switching schools?"
"Yeah, right!" Ethan snorted and kicked a small rock in their path, causing it to bounce down the hillside. "Which school do you think will admit a troublemaker like me? They'll make inquiries, talk to my principal and suddenly there aren't any seats available. We apologise! You may re-apply next year or whenever."
Sighing, the boy shoved both hands into the pockets of his jacket.
"It probably doesn't matter. I am an ill fit everywhere..."
"Hey, hold on here!" Wolf stopped. "Don't sell yourself short because of a few setbacks. Sometimes we fail and it ain't always you who are at fault."
"Does that even matter when the outcome is all the same?" Wolf was surprised to hear Ethan's voice trembling. "No one notices me or feels I'm worth their time! No one, except you. If I was to disappear people would be relieved!"
"Listen." Wolf said and seized the boy's shoulders. "Would you have tried reaching out to your class mates one year ago?"
"No."
"Would you have attempted to make improvements to your school, even if the principal disagreed?"
"No..."
"See what I mean?" Wolf tilted his head, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. "Being the only person with a spoon in a world of soup where everyone else uses a fork isn't a flaw. You're going through changes for the better and if people object, well, then they're the problem. Not you."
"I'm feeling so lonely. I want to find some friends!"
"Hang in there and it'll happen." Wolf put an arm around Ethan. "Don't give up now! You're doing good, real good."
"Then why can't I feel it?"
"What do you think?"
"I wouldn't ask you if I knew, would I?"
Wolf chuckled.
"And I know you've got a knack for figuring things out. Take the time you need."
"Okay."
They continued the trek along the wide ridge. Every now and again hikers were coming from the opposite direction and Wolf greeted them courteously.
"How come nobody recognises you?" Ethan shook his head, bemused.
"Whenever people aren't expecting me they don't see me. Got any ideas yet?"
"Well..." Ethan began, sounding uncharacteristically hesitant. "Perhaps I'm expecting too much, too soon? I know I am a little impatient."
Regarding the boy's face from behind the yellow sunglasses Wolf considered his hunches. The kid had always appeared tough and resilient but there was a new frailty to him, urging caution.
"That's a pretty insightful self-analysis." Wolf said, weighing each word. "I think you are also having growing pains from opening up to others. You've been cooped up in yourself for a long time."
"Yeah, maybe."
"And not every day has to be a good one. Even nice guys like me aren't spared. Hey, let me tell you the story when my spring shed went south..."
Recounting an abridged and perhaps not wholly truthful version of the nightmarish ordeal from years ago, Wolf watched with satisfaction as the boy's spirits lifted.
"The doctor probably thought I was a complete fool the way I behaved! I was terrified she would pronounce some judgement upon me."
"What diagnosis did you get?" Ethan was smiling now. "It couldn't have been anything terminal because you are still here."
"She never pinpointed a clear cause. I got a medicine which took away the itch and made me sleepy. Next day the winter coat began coming out so I figure my skin must have been over-stressed or something."
"I can't imagine you ever being afraid of anything in this world."
"Think again, kiddo."
Wolf patted the boy's shoulder as they continued walking for a while longer before turning back.
Rounding off the day, Wolf drove to a beach café which hadn't yet closed for the season. He and Ethan settled down at the empty outside terrace, watching the waves wash the deserted sandy shoreline.
"You kept up pretty well today." Wolf said, sipping on his coffee. "Your stamina has come a long way. Do you swim?"
"Yes, but I don't enjoy it very much."
"Oh? Why not?"
"I just don't." Ethan said curtly.
"As for me I never turn down a sea trip if the weather is nice. The surfing in these parts isn't bad."
"Do you ever take to the seas with your friends?"
"It happens. Why?"
"There has been much buzz concerning a recent, well-executed robbery at monsieur Grandsaignes's yacht." Ethan said, a smirk forming on his face. "Twelve priceless bottles snatched from the wine cellar. The head of security jailed for handling an automatic pistol in a reckless manner while riding a Jet Ski. It's quite an outrage."
"Fancy that."
"And I overheard mother talking to a friend, bemoaning she turned down the invitation and missed out on the show. Said she could have kissed the gang leader for pulling it off and wounding the ego of that pompous arseho..."
"A-hem!"
"I was only quoting what she said! Verbatim."
"Well, I got the message." Wolf chuckled nervously, eager to change the subject. "Are things okay back home, then? Or are you two still clashing?"
"Not often. Mother is becoming more easy-going and I don't understand why. She used to act like we were always in a courthouse but now she asks instead of demanding answers."
"Maybe she's acknowledging her son's growing up and facing new challenges?"
"Maybe."
"She cares about you, Ethan. You'd make a mistake thinking she doesn't."
The boy drank from his teacup and didn't reply. Noticing a slight frown on his forehead, Wolf knew he had at least taken it in for consideration. Watching the never-ending barrage of large swells they lapsed into a thoughtful silence.
"It's funny." Ethan said suddenly, sipping the hot tea. "I know my tea was paid for using stolen money, like everything else you have ever treated me to."
Wolf coughed and shifted on the chair, embarrassed and a little annoyed by the kid's bold questioning of his illicit livelihood. Still, he found it hard to put a harsh stop to the inquiries.
"I am not feeling too bad about it, though." Ethan continued.
"Oh yeah?"
"If things had been different you would pay using your own money. The world might have known you as a famous stunt driver or why not a pilot? I think you'd make a great one!"
"Thanks, but we'll never find out."
"Welcome aboard, this is captain Wolf speaking! Today you're in safe paws." Ethan said in a passable imitation of his mentor's self-assured voice.
"Heh! You've got a wild imagination, I'll give you that." Wolf laughed and emptied his coffee. "Afraid we'll have to make do with me as your personal driver. It's time to head home."
The roads to city center turned out to be congested. Sighing, Wolf looked around and imagined the illegal path he WOULD have taken under normal circumstances, then he noticed a patrol car appearing some hundred yards behind them. Why it would be on their tail he couldn't tell but the unease kept growing and an escape plan began taking shape inside his mind.
"Ethan, listen to me very carefully." Wolf said and broke away from the line, entering a less trafficked cross-street leading away from heart of the city. "Do exactly what I tell you, when I tell you and without question, okay?"
"Sure. Is...?"
At that moment the patrol car entered the street behind them, siren howling and lightbar flashing as it sped up to overtake them.
"Get down, NOW!"
Stepping hard on the accelerator, Wolf put a considerable distance between himself and the pursuit in seconds but he was quickly coming up to a busy intersection.
"What's going...?"
"Be quiet and stay down!"
Zig-zagging between the vehicles ahead and earning many angry honks, the canine expert driver made an aggressive turn onto a broad boulevard, only to spot a party of flashing lights in the distance. The police appeared to have set a trap for him. No matter!
"Sorry, but this is gonna get be a bit rough. Hold on!"
The black sports car crossed the lanes in a bold U-turn, grazing the oncoming traffic by mere inches, and when Wolf roared past the pursuer still driving in the opposite lane, the cops foolishly attempted to imitate him. A loud crash rang out amidst the noise of busy afternoon traffic, followed by a blaring that didn't stop. Wolf threw a quick glance into the rear-view mirror and saw the patrol car lying on its roof, gently scraping across the asphalt and generating quite a blockage. Again the initiative was his and he couldn't afford to let it slip.
Making a series of sharp, illegal and daring turns onto smaller streets, which included a few near misses, then cutting a long straight stretch at high speed, they entered a seedy industrial area. Careful not to leave tyre marks, Wolf drove along the run-down streets at lower speeds, turning every so often, before stopping in the shadow of an old warehouse.
"Wolf?"
"Wait!" The canine removed his hat, ears moving about. He raised his snout and sniffed the outside air. "Alright you can sit up, but if I tell you to duck..."
"I'll duck." Ethan came out of the bracing position, face much paler than usual. "Did we get away?"
"Seems like it, but we're in a real jam now. I can't drive around in public with these license plates, let alone taking you home." Wolf slammed both paws on the dashboard. "And knowing our zealous chief of police they'll be hounding me all night!"
"What if I were to walk? How far away is the nearest Metro station?"
"Way too far and this is a very dangerous place, Ethan. I could never drop you off here." Lowering the sunglasses, Wolf caught and held the teenager's eyes. "I have an escape route but you need to keep obeying me. Do we understand each other?"
"Yes."
"Good. Get down again. This won't take long."
Wolf resumed driving and kept a vigilant lookout for any pursuit. They encountered nobody however, as the car drove past derelict storage facilities and overgrown industrial lots. Passing through a broken gate and down a ramp which lead to one of the city's dried up canals, Wolf switched off the exterior lights and stuck to the shadows. A familiar overpassing bridge soon came into view and he made a right turn, entering the huge, unlit drainage pipe.
"Can I sit up now?"
"Yeah."
"Where are we?" Ethan asked, watching Wolf's troubled features illuminated by the control panel.
"Someplace you shouldn't be."
"This is your secret hideout, isn't it?"
Wolf stopped the car and didn't answer.
"I could spend the night in the backseat. I imagine it might be uncomfortable but I can deal with that."
"No way I'm leaving you alone down here in the dark." Wolf said lowly. "Now listen to me..." He leaned over, so close their noses almost touched. "I swore not to let you become an outcast like us. My companions are up there and waiting for me. They'll never expect a visitor."
"Do you think they will be angry?"
"Worse, they'll be overjoyed!" Wolf shook his head. "Especially Snake who'd love seeing you turn away from the right path and onto the wrong. He'll try pushing you, Ethan. Don't let it get to you and remember he ain't as bad as he pretends. The others are gonna want to hang out with you and have fun, and if you ever start feeling it's too much just give me a look and I'll intervene, okay?"
"Okay. My heart is pounding though. I am really, really nervous."
"Deep breaths, stay calm and be yourself." Wolf spoke reassuringly. "No need trying to be anything else around us. And stuff that miserable bucket hat into the bottom of your backpack."
At the flip of a switch on the middle console the car elevator opened. Once they were inside Wolf killed the engine and stepped out, gesturing to Ethan to come stand in front of him.
"Don't be afraid. Trust me."
The rattling stopped, followed by a series of metallic clanks and bangs as the massive elevator doors parted to reveal a great industrial space.
~
To be continued in next chapter...