Chapter 3 Two Tails

It has been 2 weeks since my 'episode' and Nick and I have come to realize that, however impossible it is, that I had developed heightened agility and strength. The first week was rough, I could barely walk around normally without the ground trembling beneath me. When I sat down eight out of ten chairs would collapse and all the utensils I used ended up as scrap metal.

"Ok, Kira let's try this again." Nick had been amazingly helpful during this time, we had to lay off our conning days for obvious reasons as he helped me control my abilities. We even put together a training course for me. My speed was nothing short of a miracle, I was faster than most cheetahs. Running a 200-meter lap took me 9.2 seconds standing up; when all fours it cut down to 7.3. My strength was even more ridiculous, I could do 10 squats with 200lbs resting on my shoulders. Agility wise was a little less ridiculous, though not by much. I could run at full speed across a rope the width of a ruler. The obstacle course Nick had set up today tested all of my limits, there were ropes that could break if I put too much pressure on them so I had to be fast. Steel beams and giant tires that had to be moved and even a climbing wall that looked like someone would have to break the laws of gravity to climb it. But I was motivated to clear it, not to test my limits but because at the end of the course Nick had put a slice of my favorite falcon velvet cake. There was a catch though, if I didn't make it within 5 minutes he would eat it. I would not let that happen, not again. Failing to get my precious 6 times in a row was unacceptable. I would do this or I would die.

"3 2 1 Go!" Like that I was off, flying through the course, jumping off ropes just before they would break. Leaping over holes in the warehouse that lead to the ground floor, before sliding down a steel beam to the second part of the test; lifting heavy shit.

4 minutes later

Loud moaning sounds could be heard throughout the warehouse as a two-tailed fox enjoyed her cake.

"I know you won't share your recipe with me but you better not hold this cake against me ever again, that is a cruel and unusual punishment." Glaring at Nick as I scarfed down the remainder of my precious.

"Ok, no more cake hostages, but congratulations. You were able to control your strength and speed." Giving me two thumbs up and a toothy grin. He was right. I had perfect control of my body, now we could go back to stealing and conning mammals. I didn't have to worry about people asking about my two tails either. Because I was able to twist them around each other to make them look like a slightly fluffier tail than normal.

3 week later

"Nick are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course it is. You have the perfect set of skills to pull this off." He stated clearly while staring at the bank across the street from us. I sighed heavily, yes he was right, and yes we had practiced doing this at home but it could still go bad in every way possible. However, I trusted Nick, not one of his plans had gone wrong so far.

Later that night mammals were woken up to the sound of police cars racing down the street.

"Red, if we get out of here in one piece I'm going to skin you alive." I hissed angrily at him over the radio." Everything had been going great when we started, he kept a lookout while I broke into the vault. With the strength I possessed I didn't even need the keys. I just punched the lockboxes and the mechanisms shattered releasing their contents into my happily awaiting paws.

We had agreed to only take the bank money as any personal items would have more police work done for them. It took me less than 5 minutes to grab 10 stacks of $50's and $100's, that's when it all went wrong. Apparently, there was a mouse as a hidden security guard that Nick was uninformed about.

Within seconds of the small Muridae* spotting me, an alarm went off. As I was rushing towards Nick I heard sirens rushing towards us, luckily we had prepared for such a situation. I kept rushing towards Nick as he lifted a metal grate and we both dove down into the murky abyss that I used to call home.

Lieutenant Bogo (Pov)

I couldn't keep a straight face as I listened to Ms. Tilly Whitefoot (the mouse security guard) recount what she saw happen in the vault. The assailant was medium-sized with a big bushy tail dressed in all black and all they did to the safes was punch them open. That was a very far fetched story seeing as all bank safes were made out of a special alloy to prevent large mammals from doing such a thing.

"Fine, I can see that you don't believe me so just look at the videotapes." Huuuh, this is going to be a long night.

"Ok, Stanten! Go grab the tapes from tonight!" I shouted to the lynx in the building.

"I already have them Sir, and you're not gonna believe what's on them." He said with a hint of awe in his voice. Tilly couldn't be telling the truth right? There is no way a medium-sized mammal could wield that much strength within their bodies. 10 minutes later my sense of reality was fading. First of all the thief was as strong as Tilly had said and secondly, it was very fast.

Kira (Pov)

2 week after the robbery

"Yes Nick we got away with the money but it was still a huge risk, we almost got caught!" We had been having this argument for the better part of a week. Yes, I'm glad we got the money, it's made our lives substantially better, $7,500 will do that to anyone.

"Come on Kira it went great. Besides, the coppers didn't see us. All they have to go on is a medium fluffy-tailed assailant who is strong and fast. Let's just do one more job, please, I promise I will get all the details and there will be no surprises." He had also been begging me to do another job for the past week. I'll admit I did enjoy the thrill of the heist but it was still too dangerous. On the other paw, if he did have all the details what would be the harm of one more job.

"...Fine one more job, but we are doing a lot more surveillance. I want you to know when the guards go to the bathroom type of surveillance, got it?"

"Yes! Ok, I've already been looking at this museum where they will be showing some very nice jewelry and..." I interrupted him immediately.

"Nick, that sounds awesome but we are only 10. How do you plan on fencing those for cash? No mammal would take us seriously." He paused at that.

"Oh...you're right. I hadn't thought about that. Ok, then we hit another bank."

"Come back to me when you have a target. I want all the security details this time."

"Ok, ok, you don't have to keep repeating yourself. I'll go look into it, you focus on training or whatever." He said with a toothy grin.