Welcome!
This is something that came to my mind after thinking about Zootopia and Fallout at the same time ;)
The idea is to have Zootopia's characters with their original personalities and see how they fare in the cruel world after a nuclear war. It's M rated because of violence and language. LOTS of violence. You have been warned.
And yes, it's a WildexHopps story.
Feedback, questions and suggestions are welcomed.
Chapter 1
The run-down, large shack was built from various not matching metal sheets. Rust was the main theme for the construction. It wasn't unique in any way, there were dozens of similar shacks spread throughout the wastelands after the nuclear war. Some had tenants, some didn't. This one was housing a pack of rather dirty and ugly bunch. And the front door opened with a creak, revealing a female hyena dressed in a ragged armor, comprising of many scraps of different metals. She stretched her back a bit and took off the rifle she had slung over her arm. The mammal directed her pawsteps towards a pig in a similar looking attire that was crouching not too far from the shack and smoking a cigarette.
"Oi, time for shift change. Where's that dumb fucker?" She barked, approaching him from behind, referring to another guard that was stationed outside but now was nowhere in sight.
The pig simply pointed a thumb at the corner of the shack over his shoulder and made a psss sound with his mouth.
"Oh, really?" Then go and drag his ass here." She ordered the pig, but the mammal only shrugged and blew a stream of smoke. In the next second he got hit on the head with the butt of the rifle. "Move it!" The female snarled.
The pig grumbled something unintelligible, but got to his hooves and strode in the direction he pointed earlier. As he disappeared around the corner, the hyena sat on a nearby rock and surveyed the horizon, looking for any possible threats. Apart from a small pack of radroaches and several ghouls in the distance, there were none. And after few minutes she whipped her neck around and yelled. "Hey! The fuck you're doin' there?! Jerkin' each other?!"
No answer.
Muttering curses under her breath, the female gripped her gun and walked where the pig went. When she got around the corner, a sharp hiss escaped her mouth. Two corpses had lay on the ground before her in a pool of blood.
"Shit!" She raised her weapon in an instant and nervously looked around, but found nothing. The hyena opened her mouth to call the rest of the group when a sharp blade ran across her throat and a stream of blood gushed out, causing the female to collapse to the ground with a gurgle.
Seconds later a group of mammals, that were engaged in a game of poker by the round table inside the shack, heard a crash of glass from the window and instantly reached for their weapons. But a grenade that landed right in the middle of the table top was faster. The explosion sprayed the walls with blood and singed body parts, as well as alarmed other residents of the building. The door to the other part of the shack was kicked open and a coyote barged in with a 9mm SMG only to notice a silhouette in the entrance. She had no time to react as she fell down with a bullet between her eyes. Two other raiders that went through the door shared the same fate. And right after that a vicious scream filed the shack.
"YAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Someone from the other room pulled a trigger and a hail of bullets showered the walls and the door from the other side, ripping holes in the thin wall. The rain of projectiles eventually stopped and a cautious figure appeared in the doorframe. A camel in a heavier armor than others and weapons in both hooved palms. A 10mm pistol and a combat knife. His nervous eyes scanned the empty room now filled with bodies, blood and smell of gunpowder and burnt flesh. The mammal surveyed the surroundings and jumped out to the middle of the room
"Come on, asshole! Show yourse-"
He felt metal pressed to the bottom of his jaw.
A gloved finger pulled the trigger.
Few minutes later a single mammal exited the shack, carrying a small sack. His red fur was brightly visible in the scorching sun. He was wearing a worn, brownish duster coat, along with protective boots and gloves. A sniper rifle slung over his back, two pistol holsters on the sides of his chest and a full backpack completed the look of a wasteland traveler. His eyes surveyed the horizon, looking towards the distant bulk of the New Vegas Strip. One eye, to be precise. The right one was covered with a black eyepatch. And it was not a gaze any mammal would like to be graced with. Foxes in general had an opinion of being treacherous, sly bastards that would shoot you in the back for a handful of dollars. But this one had a stare of a mammal that has seen a lot of crazy shit and would have no qualms with slicing someone's throat from the front and watch them bleed out to death, not breaking the eye contact.
He tightened his grip on the sack and headed towards the city.
.
.
Sergeant McHorn was in trouble. His feet ached and he was breathing heavily. This was not like any other opponent he has faced before. And that is much to say, considering that the rhino had experience dealing even with feral elephant ghouls. But now he couldn't even follow his enemy's movements. He thought that he noticed a grey blur stream past him so he spun around, only to see two small hindpaws coming at his head. They connected with his jaw, effectively shaking his brain and sending the unconscious rhino to the ground with a loud thud.
"Stop! Winner, corporal Hopps!" The referee announced his verdict.
The grey doe was bouncing on her hindpaws and pumped her fist in the air. "Woohoo!" She whooped with satisfaction from the victory. She was dressed in plain, khaki shirt and pants, issued for every trooper in the NCR army. Basic sparring clothing.
"Ok, who's next?" She chirped enthusiastically, punching her gloved paws together. The gathered soldiers looked one at another, not sure if there were any volunteers left. They were in the middle of a large building that was previously a mall of some sorts. NCR has adapted it into a training center for recruits in the Nevada state. And now a fair amount of them was engaged in friendly sparring session, with a ring in the center of the crowd. Among them, a rather hyperactive doe.
The rabbit was eager to face someone and scanned the mammals with her amethyst gaze.
"Hopps!" Came a shout from the door and she recognized the voice of her lieutenant, the mammal in charge of accommodating her in the base for the time of her transfer. She quickly took off the sparring gear and ran towards her superior. Few of the recruits breathed with relief when she left. The doe came to halt right in front of the polar bear in question and saluted crisply.
"Sir!"
"That was your fifth opponent in a row, Hopps. Let them catch some air and don't treat the local troops as punching bags. Now come with me, you have a guest." He gestured for her to follow him.
"Guest, sir?"
"You'll see."
After they traveled through several long corridors of the building, the bear showed her to a small office.
"Get your ass inside. Once you're done, report back to me." And the predator marched away to his own office.
The rabbit knocked respectfully on the door and a muffled voice invited her in. As she walked inside, the grey mammal saw a uniformed lamb seated behind a battered wooden desk, focused on reading a file in her hooves. The doe noticed name 'Hopps' written on the front cover.
"Shut the door and sit down, corporal." The lamb ordered her. She was wearing the insignia of a colonel.
"You've called for me, ma'am?" The rabbit saluted and posed a question.
The lamb nodded as her guest sat down in the chair in front of the desk. "Indeed." She flipped a page of the file. "Judy Hopps, age 21, a volunteer, enlisted a year ago in Vault City." The small mammal recited from the document. "Originally from Bunnyburrow, a farming community near Modoc. Joined the army to…" She leaned closer to the paper. "Make the world a better place?" Only then the lamb raised her eyes and looked at the doe inquiringly over her glasses.
"Yes, ma'am." Judy fidgeted a bit with her paws. "I have thought about enlisting enlisted after I heard about the Battle of Hoover Dam. I was so impressed with the achievements of the soldiers, especially the 1st Recon Ranger unit… I mean, they were like heroes in my eyes. Standing against the Legion and their vile ways. And… um… I've heard about one of the rangers… The soldiers stationed near Vault City even called him The Hero of The Dam. He was one mammal who sniped several enemy centurions and even when wounded himself, he ensured that the rest of his squad would get to safety before Boulder City would be blown up. And after the battle he refused any medals and is still serving, anonymous among the soldiers. At that point I thought that I'd like to be like him. Someone strong and humble, protecting the innocent mammals from the Legion and the likes of them."
If her words could sparkle, the lamb would have been blinded by the glow. The woolly mammal cleared her throat and closed the file.
"Ah, yes… that guy." She sighed while putting the documents down.
These words made the doe spring up from her seat and place both paws on the desk. "Do you know him?!" She yelled out, but right after that she realized what she just did and fell on the chair again. "Uh, my apologies, ma'am…"
The lamb corrected the glasses on her nose. "The name's Bellweather, corporal. Colonel Bellweather." She emphasized her status. "And don't worry about that. Instead, I want you to focus, as I have a task for you."
Judy Hopps straightened herself up and saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"
"At ease, corporal. Now listen closely." Bellweather put her hooves together and placed them on the desk. "You were called here as reinforcements, in case of an open conflict with the Legion at the Hoover Dam, but I have a different mission for someone with your… abilities."
"Ma'am?"
"I am convinced after our talk, that you have the proper mindset to act as a representative of the NCR in the vicinity of Las Vegas."
The doe raised her brow in surprise. "A representative?"
"Correct. You shall act as an independent unit, with the goal of befriending the local community. Convincing them of our goodwill. In short, do some good in that area, to show that NCR cares for the people."
Judy's eyes lit up. "Wait, so you want me to act as a…" She gestured with a paw, looking for a proper word.
"…a representative of NCR. You have the attitude that fits best this task. Plus, I have read your file. Excels in paw-to-paw combat, best test results from the entire battalion and a number of praise letters from your instructors."
The doe blushed a little, hearing this summary. "I just tried to do my best." She mumbled with a small smile on her lips.
"As many do, Hopps. But not with such impressive results. Therefore, this is your mission. But," she raised a hoof "The Mojave Wastelands are very treacherous, so you will be assigned a guide, who will also act as your bodyguard if needed."
The grey corporal scrunched her nose at this. "A bodyguard? Ma'am, with all due respect-"
"This is not up for negotiation, Hopps. You can think of it as a kind of support and mark my words, when you walk into an unknown battlefield, you need all the support you can get." The lamb scolded the small soldier and the rabbit's ears drooped.
"Oh, yes, you're right. I'm sorry, ma'am. My mistake."
"We learn all the time, Hopps. Just make sure that you won't die in the process. And don't worry about the guide, he's considered to be one of the best mercenaries in the Mojave and his sniping skills are said to be on par with our 1st Recon." The colonel gave her a smile. "Well, that will be all. You'll receive more details from my attendant later. Do well and you shall be properly rewarded, this is an important mission after all."
Judy Hopps nodded solemnly. "Ma'am… This may be a bit bold of me, but… Can I ask for a specific reward after the mission is over?"
Bellweather raised a brow at this question. "Oh? And what would that be?"
"Um… I'd like to meet the Hero of The Dam!" Judy blurted out with sparkling eyes.
"Huh?" This actually surprised her superior officer. "Ehm, well… I think… I think that it could be arranged, but ONLY if the mission is a success."
The radiant bunny pulled off a salute. "I will not let you down, ma'am!"
"I hope so, Hopps. Dismissed!"