Our Finest Hour

Chapter 1: As the World Passes us by

Soka

2004

Another Zootopian fanfiction! I couldn't help myself. This one is going to be more action packed and less of a character drama than whistleblowers. You'll see eventually. Thank you all for the support you've shown me. It's much appreciated. :) Anyhow, this one is still rated M, as it's going to be primarily a war story with disturbing themes. Let's cut to the chase now, shall we?

My collar was green. Breathing deep, I shrugged into my coat and stood still. Turning my foxy ears to and fro, I listened for the tell-tale steps of worried parents checking up on their eldest kit. Nothing. Just the creaks and groans of our old building. I could faintly catch the slight snores of little Nikolai, bringing a tiny smile to my face. I'd die for my bro. He was so innocent, collarless with eyes still bright. Giving a huff, I meandered over to my foggy window and slid open the latch. Carefully lifting up the glass, I slipped through into the cold, rainy night. My paws hit the rusted fire escape with nary a sound. Quietly closing the window behind me, I pulled up my hood and began the long climb down.

It was times like these that I was grateful for being born a Russian fox. My pitch black fur easily bled into the dark, giving those police bastards a tough time locking me down. Thankfully, tonight I had yet to encounter a single cruiser or even the color blue. Navigating Happy Town's streets wasn't too hard at this time of night. Not many mammals were out and about, just shady folk like myself. Sniffing the air, I shivered as my breath came out in a cloud of mist. It was cold. The chill bit at my nose and exposed fingers. Fat raindrops battered my coat, soaking the thin fabric. Catching the scent, I sighed. Not long now…

Strutting into the alley, I tried my best to ignore the smell of rot and mold. Pretty soon, the alley turned sharply to the left, opening out into a small court. Broken trash bags and garbage littered the sides, but it was ours. Three figures, similar to my size and hooded, stood in the center. I felt my muzzle break into a relieved smile.

"You guys made it here okay?" I asked, startling my friends. Despite the rain, they lowered their hoods; revealing a young tiger, wolf and red fox.

"Fuck you Sok." Terry the tiger cursed, clutching at his chest. Nick chuckled, drawing a few cans of beer from his coat pockets. The red fox wore his signature smirk and half-lidded gaze, like the whole world was some joke to him.

"We could get arrested for this, y'know." Alex, our lupine friend didn't so much as warn but observe. His gold eyes flashed in the darkness.

"Eh." Nick shrugged.

"We could get arrested for being Preds. Let's get hammered!" Terry whooped, throwing his hands into the air. I rolled my eyes.

"I came here to find out what all the fuss was about. Gimme one of those cans Nicky." He nodded, tossing one my way. Deftly catching it, I popped the seal and took an exploratory sniff. "Cheers." I smiled before taking a swig. The alcohol burned my mouth, but I was prepared for that. However, I wasn't aware the stuff tasted like piss. Nearly gagging, I forced myself to keep it down. "Ugh." I groaned. "That's fucking gross."

"Just give it a moment." Nick advised. "The high is worth drinking piss-water."

The concept of time escaped me. When I came to, I found myself slumped over a dumpster, rotten trash staining my jacket all over the front.

"Shit." I murmured, feeling woozy. Dropping down onto wobbly legs, I staggered my way out of the alley. The rain had let up somewhat, but it was still dark as a grazer's heart. An uncomfortable buzz sounded in my ears, and my head felt like a python decided to curl up around my temples. Nausea boiled in the pit of my gut, exacerbated by my tongue which felt fluffier than my tail. "Gotta get home-Urk!" I doubled over, retching bitter bile. "Ugh…" I moaned, wiping my mouth as the scent of alcohol wafted up from my vomit. "Never doing that again." I muttered, stumbling back in the direction of home.

Fumbling with the window, I tried stepping back into my room quietly, but managed to trip and tumble inside. Breathing heavily on the carpeted floor, I resolved myself to stand. Stripping down to my boxers, which were thankfully free from filth, I snuck into bed and immediately went out cold.

Heavy footsteps creaked outside my door, startling me from a dreamless sleep. Groaning at my pounding headache, I sat up and listened intently. The steps were too far apart, too loud to belong to a fox. Unease prickled my gut, turning to full blow fear when my doorknob began to turn. My collar turned yellow when the door swung slowly open. Hulking. Black fur. Black horns. A water buffalo stood in the threshold, far too large for my family's apartment. He had to duck, lest he knock his head. This was all secondary. The absolute first thing I noticed about him, was the badge pinned to his chest and that feared blue uniform. When he saw me, a look of dread crossed his face. He noticed the color on my T.A.M.E collar.

"Easy now son." He tried to calm me by showing that his weapons were holstered. "You need to come with me. This apartment is a crime scene." Crime scene!? My collar turned red. I whimpered as electricity surged into my flesh, eliciting a burning stench. Closing my eyes, I waited for the pain to stop… when it did with a click. The familiar weight of my collar clattered to the floor, leaving me feeling lighter than I had in years. I blinked in surprise, staring at the police officer in a new light. He held a remote in his hands, concern etched on his wrinkled snout.

"Why?" I whispered, staring at the blinking collar on the floor. "Aren't you… aren't you scared?" The look in his eyes was broken.

"No." He said, slowly approaching. When he stood right before me, he kneeled down and smiled. "I'm not scared of you." He offered me his arms. "Come here." I was small enough for him to carry me like a child, so why not? Climbing into the water buffalo's arms, I gave him a big hug.

"Thank you." His breath hitched for a moment.

Cradling me, he took us back to the hallway. As we passed by my brother's door, I looked up at him.

"What about Nikolai?" His face twisted in anguish. That was all I needed to see. Fat tears gathered on the edge of my eyes. Burying my face in his chest, I broke out into thick sobs. Nikolai couldn't be dead! He couldn't be…

The police officer continued on into a bustle of activity. Our kitchen was trashed, remodeled into a sort of operations center for the police. Documents and laptops littered the countertops, more Prey loitering around sipping from Styrofoam coffee cups. The nice police officer glared at his fellow officers as we entered the room, intimidating them into silence.

"Close your eyes." He told me. "It's not pretty." He added softly. I did as he said when we moved into the living room, but curiosity prickled at my mind. Cracking a single eye, I scanned the room and saw red. My brain processed everything so fast. Three mangled fox bodies. Two big ones, one small one. I screamed incoherently and broke down, weeping into the officer's shirt.

"Shh, shh…" He cooed, covering my eyes. "Everything is going to be okay. It's all going to be okay." He lied.

Mary

2016

Breakfast with the family. I sat at the table, picking at my bagel while my eyes roved the room. Light poured in through the window to my back, illuminating my parents' warm smiles and bright eyes. Warmth, a common theme around the house. Northern Canada was cold and unforgiving, but we made do with sunny yellow walls and white tiles in our kitchen. Being arctic hares helped, of course. We were made for the cold.

My four brothers and sisters had already finished their food, long since having washed their plates and bid goodbye for the morning. It was just me and my parents now. Just what I was waiting for.

"Honey, is something bothering you?" Pa asked, his face the picture of concern. I gulped. How was I going to break the news to them? Just… do it. Get the pain over with. Like ripping off a bandage.

"Mom, dad… I have something to tell you." My heart thundered in my chest, nervous sweat pooling in my luxurious speckled pelt. Mom noticed my anxiety.

"You know you can tell us anything dear." She reassured, making me groan internally. Why were they so perfect? It made breaking their hearts all the more painful.

"I've been assigned." I said in a near whisper. They shared a worried glance. Ever since my acceptance into the IFRC, my parents had been dreading this day.

"Where." Dad asked, not really wanting to know the answer. "Where are you going?" Taking a deep breath, I answered.

"Zootopia." Mom nearly fainted.

"No!" Dad banged his fist on the table. "I forbid it. That cesspit is hell on earth. I won't let my eldest daughter go just to get chewed up and spit right back out!" He got so scared he was spluttering. Anger tightened its claws around my heart. I made it known with a small snarl.

"I'm twenty three Deryn. I can make my own choices." My father was quiet for a moment before standing. My mother looked between us, concerned. I almost never called my father by his name. Everyone knew this was serious.

"You tell them no. You are NOT going to Zootopia and that is final." Pushing away my plate, I stood as well.

"I asked for the posting. You can't stop me." My words looked like they'd struck him a physical blow.

"Why! Why would you ask to be put on a suicide mission?" My mom blurted out. I winced. When she put it that way, my choice sounded idiotic to be sure. Except, I felt that I could do some real good in Zootopia. There was a chance we could turn the city around, saving millions of oppressed. It felt like the right thing to do.

"Because I feel it's the right thing to do. I know I can do good there, mom. I know I can."

"Mary. You can't keep hurting us like this. If you go… don't come back." Mom and I gasped.

"Are you kicking me out?" I asked, feeling my eyes burn. My breathing started to hitch, but I resolved myself not to break down. Don't break down… Oh no. Tears streamed down my face as sobs ripped themselves out of my chest. "Bye." I spat before running out of the house. My mom leaped up after me, screaming, but I was too fast. I didn't even bother for any of my things. I just had to get out of there.

The train station was crowded, full of mammals going about their daily business. Voices echoed over loudspeakers and the smell of food wafted from several stands beneath the pavilion. It was cold despite the sun, my breath coming in a fog. Making my way to the ticketing booths, I wiped my red-rimmed eyes and tried to forget. Several mammals cast me worried looks, but I just put on a fake smile and waved them away. The sooner I got to Zootopia, the better. Approaching an empty booth, (A miracle really) I gave the white wolf manning it a smile. He smiled back, a friendly sort of thing.

"One ticket to Zootopia, please." I requisitioned with all the fake cheer I could muster. His smile instantly soured into a frown.

"Are you sure? Zootopia isn't the safest city, if you didn't know."

"I'm sure." I nodded, tamping down my frustration. He was just trying to be helpful. No need to snap at him.

Having procured my ticket, I didn't have to wait long for the train. A mere five minutes, and the locomotive had arrived. Before stepping on, I hesitated. Looking back, I searched the station for my family. Nothing. I couldn't find anyone. Disappointed and hurt, I let go of a breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding. Holding myself up high, I boarded the train and left the lonely station far behind. Watching the city recede into the deep forest was a surreal experience. Like watching my old life slip away into the deep fog of time.