It had been nearly 4 years since the predator hysteria had plagued Zootopia. The city had returned to normal, predators and prey had put the past behind them and returned to their daily lives. Yet, no one had truly forgotten the incident, even nowadays videos would pop-up talking about the topics, someone's personal opinion. Some conspiracy theory saying it the whole incident went deeper than it appeared. Or maybe it just talked about the lesson everyone had learned from the event.
Zootopia, either way, had moved passed the event and the one true reminder of the events lay in the Zootopia penitentiary. The lamb who had caused the entire mass panic, was sitting on her bed, not really minding her noisy roommate next door who was stirring up a ruckus from her pen. The sound of electricity and a yelp later and she calmed down. Bellwether was reading the newspaper she picked up from the book trolley that passed her room every day. She had practically read everything else on that trolley so these were the only new material she could find.
Zootopia didn't really have much to offer in "Shocking news". The mass hysteria was the biggest news story the press had in about 4 years, so most of the articles were just about new businesses or talking about some top-of-the-line product that was about to hit the shelves in the coming months.
Flipping the pages, bellwether didn't really find anything interesting until she reached the second page. Browsing the articles, one line of text caught her eye.
"Bunny and fox duo catch atm robber red-handed"
Bellwether let out a frustrated sigh. She knew exactly which "duo" the paper was talking about. About every other week she would find some story of them, stopping some kind of crime, or spreading some positive message.
Folding the paper, bellwether just set the paper to the side and lay back on her bed. Prison had not been very kind to her over the 4 years she had been there. If not because all the other inmates where much bigger than her, some of the inmates where predators. When the mass hysteria hit Zootopia, word spread fast, and it wasn't long before the entire prison was informed of the situation. When it was revealed who was behind the entire incident, a few of the predators had a very "enthusiastic" welcoming for bellwether when she arrived.
"A living hell" would be a generous way of describing her first day in the penitentiary. A scar on the side of her head was visible through the wool from when one of the inmates had tried to stab her with a carved toothbrush. A few other scars could also be found on her body, but bellwether shuddered at even thinking of how those got there. While she had been able to survive for 4 years, she had not survived unscathed. Even after 4 years a few inmates tried to take a swing at her and with no one willing to back her up, she knew it would only be a certain amount of time before there would be a fatal blow.
A buzzer suddenly filled the air, causing bellwether to jump. The doors flew open and the inmates were forced to step in the front of their cells.
"Shake down!" One of the guards shouted.
"Again?" One of the inmates complained.
"But we just had one yesterday!" Another added.
"Quiet, all of you!" The guard yelled. "You all know the drill, when a guard approaches you, hands against the wall. If any contraband is found in your room, you will take time in solitary."
The inmates groaned as they were forced, one by one, to have their rooms searched. About 10 minutes had passed before the guards approached bellwether; bellwether stepped into her room and placed her hands on the wall liked order. While the guard patted her down, a female wolf guard walked into her room and proceeded to search the rest of the room.
"Oh lamb chops." Bellwether thought. She knew what happened every time a predator searched her room. Bellwether was told to face the wall when she was caught looking at the wolf. Bellwether heard the wolf start searching until finally the wolf spoke up.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"
Bellwether gulped, looking behind her, the wolf was holding a switchblade between two of her fingers.
"That's not mine!" Bellwether protested.
"That's what they all say." The guard patting her down said. Bellwether was forced to put her hands behind her as she was cuffed. She caught the wolf with an all-too happy smirk smeared across her face as bellwether was escorted out of the room.
"Looks like bellwether's done it again!" A cheetah shouted when bellwether stepped out of her cell. Some of the other inmates shared a laugh as she was pushed down to solitary.
Bellwether was taken to a room that had no windows or other amenities, which was very cramped to top it off. She had grown very used to this room. Bellwether had lost track of how many times she had been sent to the same cell over the time she had been there. The inmates had even started making jokes about it, calling it the "Bell cell."
Bellwether took a seat on the farthest wall from the door and watched as she was enclosed in the small box. Letting out a sigh, bellwether tried to find out what she was going to do this time to entertain herself this time.
She knew she was probably going to spend about 6 hours in that cell, 12 at most. But to her surprise, it was about 4 hours later before a guard returned to her cell.
"Bellwether?" The guard asked.
Bellwether was surprised by the sudden appearance of the guard. "Has it been 6 hours already?"
"No." The guard replied. "But you're getting out early."
Bellwether wasn't sure how to react at first, this was the first time she had ever gotten out early from solitary. With her cuffs still wrapped around her arms, bellwether walked back down to the cells where she would be put back in her own cell.
But to her surprise, they walked past her cell. "Where are we going?" She asked, starting to feel nervous. The guard didn't reply.
Bellwether was escorted past the other cells were inmates were looking through the grates in the doors to watch bellwether as she was escorted to the front of the building. They reached the front door, and after a few seconds, a buzzer was heard and the light over the door turned green.
A female tiger was standing in the hallway that lay between the cells and the front office.
"Bellwether." She spoke as the lamb approached. "I honestly never expected that an animal like you would be shown mercy."
"What are you talking about?" Bellwether asked.
The tiger sighed before continuing. "It's your lucky day. Someone, somehow, managed to make a deal and get you out of prison early."
"Wha- but who?" Bellwether asked.
"Don't know." The tiger replied. "But apparently they must like you, since they went to a lot of effort to get you out as I've been told."
Bellwether was suddenly pushed forward, being moved to the front office as she followed behind the tiger.
"Guess this is a good thing for you." The tiger continued. "Really, it's more of a good thing for the rest of us, it's not like we really need criminals like you in our presence anyway."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bellwether asked angrily.
"It means," The tiger began, turning to face bellwether. "That the rest of us won't have to deal with the 'problems' you've brought to this prison since you've arrived."
"What problems?" Bellwether responded.
"Do you honestly think the guards here have enjoyed having to protect you from the other inmates, do you think we've enjoyed every time you've had to call for help because some predator has tried to shank you. No, the only reason we haven't let the others do what they want, is because it's our job. If it was my way, I would let you die along with the "opinions" you harbor with you."
Bellwether didn't respond. Suddenly feeling a push again, she was once again being moved to the front office.
At the front desk, bellwether's cuffs were removed and she was moved out to the lot. The guards left her out there with the only standing between her and freedom was a giant gate. One last buzzer and the doors opened.
Leaning against a green mini-countryman was a dog of beagle descent.
He sported a green beret and was blue hoodie with black jeans. He was focused on his paws when he looked up and noticed the lone lamb standing behind the gates.
"Bellwether?" He asked.
Bellwether merely nodded.
The dog flashed a grin. "Well, if it's not the great bellwether that caused mass hysteria and nearly segregated the entire city of Zootopia."
"Who are you, what do you want?" Bellwether asked, a sinking feeling grasping her.
"Well, you're welcome!" The dog replied, the grin still on his face. "You know, for someone who took several contacts to break out, you sure aren't very grateful."
Bellwether started to step closer, once she was a few steps out of the front gate, the gate closed behind her. "You didn't answer my question. Who are you, why did you set me free?" Bellwether pressed again.
The dog chuckled. "Look, how about we take a drive and I'll explain everything to you." He offered, standing up from the car, and opening the passenger side of the car. "We have a lot to talk about anyway."
Bellwether was hesitant to take him up on his offer. "What if I don't want too?" She asked.
"Suit yourself, I'm sure the guards would love to take you back, who knows, maybe some of the inmates would love to see you again, I'm sure they are just dying to see you." The dog responded.
Bellwether placed a hand on the scar on the right side of her head. It was two options she didn't like.
Go with the dog she had never seen before, or stay here and go back.
Sighing, bellwether stated walking to the car. Jumping into the passenger seat the dog closed the door.
"There we go." The dog enthusiastically stated. Walking over to the driver side, the dog got in and started up the car. "Passenger seat darling, wouldn't want to mess up that wool at a stop light would we?"
Bellwether grunted and pulled the car buckle across her. The dog pressed the gas and pulled away from the prison. Looking in the mirror, Bellwether watched as the prison became smaller in the distance.
The only thing that separated Zootopia from the prison was a long highway stretching about 10 minutes apart from each other.
"Alright, I'm in the car, I did what you said. Now can you please tell me why you let me free from prison?" Bellwether begged.
"Again, you're welcome." The dog answered. "And the reason I set you free is because I need you."
"Need me for what?" She asked.
"Well, when I heard that the sheep-"
"Lamb." Bellwether corrected.
"To-may-to, to-ma-to." The dog waved his hand left and right. "Anyway, the point is, when I heard that you had been sent to prison, I couldn't just let such a brain go to waste. That amount of talent that can nearly separate an entire city is not to be wasted in a giant concrete box."
"With you, I can't tell if you mean figuratively or literally." Bellwether replied skeptically.
"I get that a lot when I give others compliments." He chuckled. "I'm not her to eat you, I want to recruit you."
Bellwether raised an eyebrow. "Recruit me for what?"
"Have you ever heard of the plague doctors?" The beagle asked.
"You mean the doctor from the 1800's who wore the strange mask and healed people through religious-"
"No." The dog interrupted. "I'm talking about the heisters." He explained.
Bellwether thought it over for a second, the name actually did ring a bell. "You mean the group who wore plague mask and robbed multiple banks?" She questioned.
"The very same." He replied.
"They've been gone for years, what do they have to do with anything?" Bellwether asked.
The dog cracked a smile. "Well, maybe one of the heist member's informants tried to rat them out, and for the past 8 years they've been looking for someone who could take their place."
Bellwether felt a shudder go down her spine. "Why me, what makes you think I could take their place?" Bellwether nervously questioned.
"Well, seeing as how you managed to separate an entire city, I figured helping to rob a bank would be a step down for you." He explained. "Or is Bellwether really just a fraud in lambs clothing."
Bellwether was taken aback by the sudden insult. "I'll have you know that it took me years to plan out how to take down Zootopia, I won't sit here and allow you to talk to me like it was a simple job."
"Great." The beagle replied. "Then gathering information needed for us to rob a bank should be easy for you then."
For a moment, Bellwether sat in silence. Her first day out of prison, and she's being recruited into a heist group that had disbanded 8 years ago. "You never told me your name." Bellwether remembered
"Aiden." The beagle answered. "I know this may seem a little "Much" For you right now, what with being suddenly recruited into a group that disappeared years ago, but we won't be starting immediately."
"Why not?" Bellwether asked.
"Well, I'm one of those people, you know, let you get a breather, get back to a normal life before we get you into the dirty work." He explained. "You can stay at my place for a few days, and then we can meet the others. We'll go home; you can take a shower, get out of those clothes and into something a little more casual, and get something to eat."
"I'm not sure I entirely agree with this plan." Bellwether responded.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you have some other place you can live at right now? Do you have the money to afford a place if you don't? Do you want to take the chance on the street where everyone can see you?" Aiden questioned.
Bellwether didn't respond.
Aiden smirked. "Well, since the moment is gone, what's say we listen to some music?" He asked, grabbing the phone from his pocket. Flipping through some of the songs he eventually picked a classic rock song from the 80's. "Bluetooth." He explained as it played out the radio. "Gotta' love it."
Bellwether rolled her eyes and looked out the window. The sun was setting over the ocean and everything had an orange tint to it.
"Don't be so moody." Aiden enthusiastically nudged her with his paw. "Sure, you may be out of the frying pan and into the fryer, but at least someone's going to the fryer with you."
Bellwether sighed; she wasn't sure how to categorize this day. Was it the worst, or was it the best? It really depended on what her future with this nut job looked right. It was far too late to turn around either way. Guess it was all just up to the hands of fate now.
To be continued….