A Little Chat

Review Responses-

Canadians Rock-Thank you.

poynton90-Thanks. The best and worst of both sides are coming out of the wood work, that's for sure. I've always imagined Judy as being a child when the Revolution happened, in which case she'd be mostly innocent in the oppression of predators. We'll get into how her views of predators were formed shortly.

Orff-Thank you.

Combat Engineer-Nick and Judy are definitely in a tight spot.

Dinofelis-I didn't have ISIS specifically in mind, though it's not a bad metaphor now that you mention it. The APL are definitely the most extreme of the rebel groups. Judy and Nick are in a lot of trouble.

Agent007.1-Thank you, being a history buff I'd read about a lot of rebellions/resistances/etc. and it's actually common for there to be factions within the rebels, as well as seemed like a fun thing to explore. Point of view was always important for this story; who the good guys are kinda depends on who you ask. You are right, the prey do outnumber predators 10-1, which is a big part why there's so much security and why the escalating situation has the Militia so worried. I do like the idea of foreign investment getting other countries involved, meant to PM you about it, actually. The international situation will be expanded on next chapter.

FeyFable-Glad you're enjoying the story. Definitely not either mammal's first choice, but better than the Anti-Predator League, that's for sure. They're gonna have to set their differences aside, though it won't be easy.

Author's Note; This chapter is a bit short, and takes a step back from the larger story, but is nonetheless important.

#*#*#

Nick grunted as his hand paws here forced behind his back and bound with duct tape. The one that seemed to be in charge was a large, dark grey warthog. His right eye was blind with scars over and around it, with more scars on his right arm. He carried himself like a cop. Nick could tell that he was a former Razorback, the prey government's final solution to particularly unruly predators. So were at least two other warthogs Nick could see.

The young lieutenant would have been nervous, but thankfully he had an ace in the hole. As he and the rabbit were forced out of the subway, Nick reached into his back pocket. Let's see how these assholes like Toulouse's tank rolling over them. The fox grasped the GPS locator and had his digit over the button.

"Hey, what the hell you doin'?!" The large grey warthog snapped as he grabbed Nick's wrist and yanked his paw from his pocket. The former police enforcer pried the gadget from the militiamammal's paw and pocketed it. "Fucken chompers, think you're so smart."

The warthog's minions seized Nick by the arms and threw him into the trunk of a car build for mid-sized mammals. Just before the lid was slammed shut, Nick saw the grey warthog turn to someone.

A sheep? No, no it can't be.

Plunged into near darkness, Nick glanced around to see if there was anything he could use to his advantage. He glanced at his companion, eliciting a surprised yell from the rabbit. After a moment of confusion, he realized it was because of his glowing eyes. Finding nothing, a defeated Nick leaned back against the side of the trunk.

"So, Lieutenant," Judy attempted to say conversationally, "you got a first name?"

Even though she probably couldn't see it, Nick gave Judy an incredulous look. "Really, you want to chat?"

"Not much else to do." Judy shrugged.

"...Nick."

Several long, awkward seconds passed. Finally Judy spoke again. "Soooo...why the red uniform?"

Nick glanced down at his red fatigues, now much more worn then they ought to of been after only a few days. Remembering his lessons from the MYC, Nick turned to Judy and explained. "When word got out that a lion with a red mane was fighting back against the prey, other groups started to form and rise up. They would wear red as a show of solidarity. Head bands, shirts, scarves, whatever, as long as it was red. The color red came to symbolize unity and hope among predators."

"Hope, unity," Judy repeated, "That's not what I think about when I see a mammal in red. Probably not many other prey either."

"You were just a kit when the revolution happened, weren't you?" Nick asked, "Living on, I'm guessing your family's carrot farm. With cheap predator labor no doubt."

Judy didn't deny it.

"So for you, the Militia ruined everything for all the nice prey instead of staying in their place like predators are supposed to, that about some it up?" Nick didn't wait for a response before he continued. "Well, I was a kit back then too, but for me the experience was a little different. The Militia told me that I should be proud to be a fox. Do you know who told me that before them? No one. My parents never said that to me, because no one had ever said it to them. School? Fucking forget it. The first time someone said I should be proud of my species was at my first Militia Youth Corps meeting."

"That so, I've had experience with the Youth Corps, too." Judy shot back, her ears folded back, "It just a few days after we got world that Zootopia fell. I found two of my schoolmates, Gideon and Travis, sporting new uniforms and picking on one of my sisters and a couple of my friends. Turns out they'd been at it all day, guess they wanted to show everyone who were in charge now. When I stood up for my friends, Gideon clawed my face."

The rabbit's nose twitched and she took a breath before continuing. "And as for that farm, we were only just able to make ends meet. Then, an officer from the local garrison shows up at our door and informs us that half our land has been confiscated. Then later, half of what was left, so forth. No matter how hard we tried, my siblings started to starve. When we started losing kits, about a hundred and twenty of the older ones had to leave. Where to, we didn't know. That was four years ago, that was how I came to Zootopia."

"And you think...what? That all that happened just because predators don't like prey? Because we wanted power? Or it's in our biology, maybe?" Nick asked. The young officer was silent for several moments. Finally, being sure to sound calm, he looked Judy in the eye and continued. "Try to imagine, that you, your parents, and all your siblings have to wear a collar that will shock you if your heart rate rises too high for whatever reason; if you get angry, if you get too excited, if you're surprised. Now imagine having to live like that from age ten on up. Imagine the message that would send to you, how you'd be treated by the society making you wear that collar. Don't you think you'd get angry, bitter, maybe even a little psychotic? Wouldn't you try to do something about it if given the chance?"

Nick leaned back with a deep sigh, thinking back to his youth, before and after the Revolution. "The Militia didn't come out of nowhere, Carrots. And sure as hell wasn't biology that made us."

Just then, both mammals feel the vehicle slowing down. They were likely back arriving at an APL safe house. Nick new he had only one chance to get out of the situation alive. But he couldn't do it alone. "Listen, however we feel about each other, I think we can agree that these assholes are the worst of the worst. Now, if I can get that gadget they took back, I can call in a tank. That's probably the only chance we've got. Will you help me?"

Judy wondered the question for several moments. Finally, she turned to Nick and nodded. "What did you have in mind?"