"Destroy them!" It ordered in an electronic, modulated voice. "Destroy them at once!"

The Cybermammals raised their guns in unison.

"Take cover!" Iceac bellowed.

The crackle of blaster fire rang all around, as blue bolts of energy blossomed out from the barrels of the Cyber guns. Fierce explosions tore through the camp as mammals scampered behind supply crates and boxes, scrabbling desperately for their guns; clouds of dust were thrown up from the floor, masking the gap between friend and foe.

"Concentrate your fire!" Black ordered his troops, the rhino returning fire to the Cybermammals. The rattle of machine guns filled the air, bullets ricocheting off the walls of the camp. Sparks flew from the Cybermammals; they stiffened slightly under the onslaught, but continued their steady advance.

Nick weaved in and out of the hellish carnage, narrowly dodging past falling bodies and showers of sparks cascading down on him. Dust clung to the back of his throat, heart pounding in his ears. The fox sighted Judy, grey fur and panicked amethyst eyes barely visible ahead of him. The Doctor stood beside her, paw outstretched, encouraging him forwards.

Black. A falling mass blocked his path: an elephant, felled by the Cybermammals. Panic-stricken, the fox wheeled around for another route. A towering steel giant loomed over him, gun raised. Nick screwed his eyes shut, instinct taking over.

He hurtled towards the tunnel.


Judy stumbled amongst the darkness as the mingled sounds of gunfire and screaming receded into the distance. The Doctor joined her, multicoloured coat tails flapping behind him. The doe struggled to calm herself, panting feverishly. The ZPD was one thing, but being thrown head first into a pitched battle, death all around, weighed massively on her. "Nick!" She cried out, turning back in the direction of the carnage, "We've got to go back for him!"

"There's nothing we can do!" The Doctor said, holding the rabbit back. "There's no point in risking your life as well!"

"What's the matter with you?" Judy yelled at the lion. "Don't you care?"

"Care? Care? Of course I care! We shouldn't be running head first back into a situation where we're at a distinct disadvantage!" He began pacing back and forth, tail swishing, "Besides Peri and, it seems, Officer Wilde are more than capable of looking after themselves."

"Yeah, I suppose," said the doe, rubbing her paws together in thought, "but we've still got to help them somehow!"

"Of course, I quite agree. However, we have to admit that standing here arguing about it isn't going to solve any of our immediate problems!" He dusted some of the debris from his coat. "Now, I suggest we devise a plan of action. We obviously can't go back that way, so we'll have to find both Peri and your colleague via another route..." He tailed off, lost in thought. Judy's ears turned in the direction of...something. She edged further into the darkness, spying a small crack in the ground. A faint wind rippled through her fur.

A way out!

She edged through the crack, and up into a larger cavern. It seemed to slope upwards; the bunny was sure she could see an opening further up. "Hey Doctor, look!" The doe called to the Time Lord. He pounded over to the crevasse, satisfied look on his face.

"Aha! Well done Officer!" He squeezed through the crack, "A natural opening like this-"

"Must lead up to the surface!"

"Exactly!" Judy grinned to herself. Not just a dumb bunny. "Very astute Miss Hopps-"

"J-just call me Judy," the doe cut in; she laughed nervously, "I think we're well outside the bounds of professional duty at this point!"

"Yes, yes quite," said the Doctor, rubbing his paws together, "now, I suspect we both have rather a troubling trek ahead of us: once more unto the breach!"


Nick stalked through the tunnel, struggling for breath. He had to find a way to get to Judy, he had to go-

A sharp blow sent him the fox hurtling into the wall. A shape lunched itself at him, arm pressed tight against his throat. Not a Cybermammal, but a snarling jackal, pure hatred in his eyes. Sibuna raised his knife, poised in mid air; it caught the dim light of the tunnel, casting a prism of shimmering colours above Nick's eyes. The fox kicked at the jackal's leg in desperation, sending them both tumbling to the floor; he rolled on top of the soldier, trying to pin him down. "Listen pal," Nick yelled in fury, "I'm not your enemy! Keep going and you'll get us both killed!"

Sibuna finally seemed to stop struggling, dirt clinging to his tunic. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Hey, you saw them shooting at us as well! I mean, I doubt those guys have any taste for deep-fried double agent!"

"This may be a big joke to you fox," sneered the jackal, "but I've just lost a lotta friends, good friends, to those freaks."

An awkward pause.

"Well," Nick began, "then I guess we'd better start doing something about it."

"Yeah." Sibuna replied curtly, "Right."

"Good. Now, we can't go back, so I guess...forwards?"


The Cyber Leader swept into the control centre: cold, sterile. Banks of computers made up the far side wall. Gantries and walkways lined the room, Cybermammals striding across them. As Iceac and Moossos were led in, they passed a line of three alcoves. Both were disgusted by the sight; mammals, metal and plastic grafted onto their bodies, wires streaming from their necks, well on their way to becoming Cybermammals.

"S-sir, w-what do we do?" Moossos pleaded, a sick feeling mounting inside him.

"Say nothing." Iceac replied, "We won't let these tin things outdo us." Just like the last time.

The Cyber-Leader swept forward, looming over the two mammals. "The TARDIS has been located in one of the tunnels. Where is the Doctor?"

"No idea what you're talking about," the bear replied, his tone dismissive. "Try someone else."

The Cyber-Leader jabbed a single digit into Iceac's shoulder; the bear grunted in pain.

"You will tell me where he is."

"N-no... I w-won't!"

"A stubborn creature." The Cyber-Leader withdrew his fist, the bear exhaling sharply. "But as for your comrade...That is a different matter."

Moossos shuddered in fear as the impassive steel giant stomped towards him. "You will tell met where the Doctor is to be found."

"I-I don't know! H-honestly!"

"We shall soon see." The Leader gestured to the Cybermammals guarding the moose.

"Shall I order his total Cyber-conversion, Leader?" Asked the Cyber-Lieutenant, approaching its superior.

"No," replied the Cyber-Leader, raising a stocky arm, "he may serve a more useful purpose."


Light steadily faded from the passage as Nick stalked his way along, a suspicious Sibuna bringing up the rear. Luckily, the tod's night vision came in rather handy.

Be thankful for small mercies.

"Yeah, we're definitely going down," said the fox, noticing the gentle slope of the path. "Any idea where it leads?"

"Cyber-Control I guess."

"Oh boy, that should be interesting," the tod replied, "they'll need someone to lighten their conversation-"

"What's that?" The jackal cut in, pointing ahead of Nick. Somwthing perched on the edge of a rock. The two mammals strayed forwards, trying desperately to keep quiet. A figure, slumped against the wall, gaze cast downwards. "Moossos!" Sibuna exclaimed, rushing towards his comrade; the moose's military jacket was draped over his shoulders, expression blank. "What happened?"

"What? I...got away. Tried to turn me into a Cybermammal."

A pause. "Well, we gotcha now anyway," Nick responded, "fancy joining our band of merry mammals?"

The remark seemingly went over the moose's head. "Yeah...sure."

Nick sighed. Why does no one appreciate my genius? The tod carried on ahead, Sibuna in tow. "You coming?" The jackal snapped at his comrade.

Moossos shuffled off after them into the darkness.


"Can't we rest?" Peri called out, struggling to keep up with the rhino.

"Should be safe now," Black said, coming to a halt "they won't follow us this far!"

"Glad you're so confident," said the gazelle, "don't know if you've noticed, but they don't get tired very easily!"

"Doesn't matter anyway. They're all dead." He seemed despondent.

"Oh come on, we've gotta do something! How about we-"

"Remain where you are!" A voice sounded behind them: a Cybermammal, gun raised. "You will accompany me."


A/N: A massive thank you to ZNN for featuring this story (as well as my poem, With This Collar) on their site!

Faves/Follows/Reviews/PMs appreciated as always.