Here goes a pretty long chapter. Those hard times I mentioned? Brace yourself.

Zootopia belongs to Disney. Spider-Man belongs to Sony.


It was time.

"Soon as I've entered prison, give the go-ahead. No sooner or later."

"Can do."


Today had been amazing. He had thwarted six jackass assaults, provided physical help for Precinct Two, which was doing some remodeling work, and explored some of the city. He had noticed that some of the graffiti that had been painted around the city - the feline symbols - had been spray-painted black. Who wouldn't know what that meant? It was a little nerve-wracking, carrying so much responsibility. And yet to be a part of lasting change and to be helpful rather than hurtful was more satisfying than anything he'd ever experienced. He would never go back to what he was.

It was 4 in the afternoon. About time to go home. Danny swung by Precinct One for a second. He landed and ran into the building. He was starved. Using so much spider silk took a lot of nutrients. He needed plenty of sustenance after spending hours depleting his reserves through his webbing. He bit into his sandwich, loaded with tuna, spinach, and mayo.

"Mm! Starvation makes good taste better!" he said.

"Hey," Wolfard laughed before sitting next to him with some fruit. "Don't talk with your mouth full, that's disgusting."

"You're disgusting."

He chuckled. He then groaned, saying, "You have no idea how much you've helped us today. Chasing after these guys gets so old, especially when there're so many of them at once."

"Mo lomlemm..."

"How you doing, by the way? I haven't gotten to talk to you since I saw sitting out there."

He nodded. "I never thanked you. For what you told me. I thought I was the only one."

"I'm glad it helped."

"Oh, and Judy... without her, I don't know where I'd be."

"She's always been an amazing bunny. I heard she can knock a rhino's lights out too."

He "failed" to mention that he had yet to knock out a rhino.

"You think you might keep doing this, or is it just a temporary thing?"

Danny set his sandwich down as he thought about the query. "...I don't know. I'd... The city seems to think I should be their superhero."

"You do a really good job." Danny looked at him, feeling like he was confirming that... "You think you might go into law enforcement?"

Oh... he was the fourth or fifth mammal to suggest that. He was running out of creative ways to say that he'd think about it. He felt guilty for wanting to avoid that kind of life. But he also knew that with his powers, he had done and could do great things. What he desired, though, he feared might be beyond his reach. What if he couldn't keep the city safe? What if he failed? Then what? He'd be stuck fighting forever. The thought of that made him feel...

He focused on what Nick had told him: "Don't worry about it right now. Be a kid and decide when you're older."

"Maybe. I mean, I'm still a kid. I want to focus on growing up and... whatever happens in the future happens."

"I gotcha. Being a kid, doesn't last forever let me tell ya. Huh, one minute I'm eighteen, the next I'm forty-three."

"Geez, I only have six years left before I have to be an adult." He'd used up a lot of time on bitterness and anger. He had better use them well.

"Enjoy 'em. They go fast. And, listen, your help has been so great. But you aren't obligated to. A'right? Don't let anyone tell ya different."

"Thanks," he said with a relieved sigh. So at least most of the officers thought that way.


His wound was stinging now. It was infected. He needed to hurry. He made absolutely sure his equipment was working and exhorted the others to do the same.

The truck stopped in front of the bank, the largest bank in Zootopia. It closed in half an hour; they had plenty of time to start the operation. Here goes nothing. Kenten lifted his SIG MG 710-3, made sure the safety was on, and rechecked the grenade launcher before opening the door. There was no time for finesse, no time for stealth. He needed to be as loud as possible, create enough chaos to get the most severe reaction possible.

He grabbed the polar bear next to him. "You're going to help cover me. The rest of you, don't fire any rounds unless he shows up. I need to draw attention to myself." His henchmammals nodded silently. Turning to the polar bear, he nodded. "Thank you for agreeing to this, Ben. I won't forget it."

He approached the glass door, hearing some mammals off to the side gasping or whimpering at the sight before them. The leopard lifted his gun and blasted the glass door away. They strutted through the void where the doors used to be and entered the main foyer of the building, where tellers and customers were beginning to take cover. By now the alarm had surely been tripped. He was counting on it.

"...send help... tell him to hurry, we need him..." he heard a fearful voice chattering quietly.

He followed the voice. How stupid could someone be...? he asked himself when he saw an ocelot - a fellow predator - speaking erratically into her phone. When she saw him, she yelped and backed up.

"Take care of the vault. I got everything under control up here."

"On it, sir," said one of his henchmammals before leading the other five toward the back and knocking the cowering teller out of the way. Of course, breaking into the vault wasn't his intention. These other guys were all for show.

"All of you cooperate and you'll be fine. I promise."


"Nick, Judy," Clawhauser's voice came over Nick's radio.

"Yeah, Ben?"

"10-90, Sixth/Fourth Bank, Animal of War boulevard."

"Roger, Cap. Judy, we got a 10-90."

"Stay here, Danny," said Judy as she put her headset on.

"Wait, what's a 10-90?!"

"Bank robbery!"

Nervous. That's how he felt. You're my son. I'm going to worry.

Yeah, well, that's a two-way street.

But... like she said, they do this all the time. Right?


He heard the sirens approaching and smiled subtly.

There was a voice through a megaphone. "Building is surrounded. Come out with your paws or hooves in the air."

Calmly, he and the polar bear walked past where the door used to be, holding his gun. They wore no masks. Everyone would see him.

"Douglass Kenten, put the gun down, lay on the ground, put your paws on your head."

Without hesitation, he fired a grenade high in the air.

"Grenade!" an officer shouted, causing the officers to scurry for cover. The small object landed on a car, causing it to jump and burst into flames. Ooh, that was a good one, thought the feline. The officers began to move away from the cars. Ben aimed and pulled the trigger. Red mist sprayed from the leg of a tigress, sending her to the ground screaming. She began to scoot toward cover.

He moved behind the doorsill as he joined Ben in firing rapidly at the sitting ducks, swiping the gun across the group of scattering officers. Some were cut down, most began to fire back. Kenten took cover, moving back toward the bank's foyer. He had to provoke them further.

He rushed back into the bank, behind the teller's desk, and eyed the bank employees, all prey. Gripping the shirt of a male alpaca, he lifted him up.
The alpaca weakly pulled at his paw in terror.

"No, no, please... you said we'd be fine if we-agh!" He dragged him toward the front, where he shoved him outside and gunned him down, peppering him with bullets from head to toe. He was dead before he hit the ground. Kenten planted his back against the wall as he listen to the officers' panicked response to the horrific murder they had witnessed. He smiled as he heard their call for backup. Now, all he had to do was wait. "Want me to go get another one?!

"Kenten, whatever it is you want, you are not going to get it! You're not getting out of this so give up!"

"Oh, I will," he said quietly. "It's all part of the plan."


"Several officers down, I repeat, several officers..." More gunfire.

"He... he just..."

"Backup! Need backup!"

"SWAT's stuck in traffic."

"What...!"

"Traffic, traffic, it's always traffic! Someone's gotta be rigging it or something!"

The cub resisted the urge to bite his nails. He hoped that they'd be able to-

"Danny," came a female voice. "Danny!"

Argh!

"Who is this?"

"It's Officer Trunkaby. We're going to need your help."

Danny groaned before depressing the button. "What's going on?"

"It's bad. Really bad. Sixth/Fourth Bank, Animal of War. Hurry. Please."

Danny stood up, hesitating a moment. Be a kid? Do whatever you want? Yeah right. He was stuck with this!

Well, he couldn't just stand there, could he? He swung toward the bank, dreading every second. He'd already been through this, and now he had to do it again?!

As he approached the bank, he heard the gunfire. A flashback of the wolves and their miniguns aimed at him and that goat resurfaced. He shook his head, trying to keep his head on straight.

Oh, no... no, no, no...

Several officers really were down. Terror filled him at the amount of blood he saw. A tiger writhing in pain, an elephant and a gray wolf lying still... please don't be Wolfard...

He saw Nick and Judy hiding behind an island of landscaping next to the bank. They appeared to be looking for a good shot or something. They didn't notice him swinging in.

Danny swung high over and close to the building to avoid the gunfire. He saw the tiger - actually, a tigress - sitting behind a destroyed car, gripping her leg. She seemed to be in fierce pain. He timed his drop, waiting for the gunfire to cease for a moment. As soon as he heard the click of a releasing clip, he jumped and descended to the injured cat's side. It was an officer he didn't know.

"Black Spider?!" she yelled as the gunfire continued.

"Call me Danny! Where you hurt?"

"My leg!"

"Grab a hold of me!"

She wrapped her arms tight around his neck and chest. It was an awkward grip since she was almost twice his height. He picked up the remains of the car with one paw as he dragged her (and the car) painfully toward cover. She grunted and groaned in agony. Stray bullets ricocheted off the other side of the shell.

He took her to the side of the building, where he checked her wound. He wasn't any medical expert, but he knew what severing an artery or a major vein looked like, and that it was critical. Thankfully, though she had lost some amount of blood, the bullet seemed to have missed any major vessels.

"It's just a flesh wound. You'll live." She nodded but didn't answer.

He turned around to continue surveying the situation. There only seemed to be two guns firing. This was a bank; obviously, they wanted money. So there had to be more than one or two mammals. They were probably already trying to crack the vault if they hadn't gotten in by now.

He climbed the building about four floors and broke a window before climbing in. He carefully but quickly made his way to the stairwell, following the signs leading to it. He rushed down each floor, jumping down whole flights of stairs to save time. Once he came to the second floor, he could hear the muffled gunfire from below.

"Ok, here we go," he whispered to himself.

He descended the last stairwell and paused at the door. He needed to be careful. He put his ear to the door to listen. He couldn't make out any specific location or proximity. He just had to wing it.

"Here we go," he repeated, shoving down his fear.

He pushed the handle in and opened the door. He didn't see anyone, but the gunfire was very close.

D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D

Suddenly the sound of gunfire filled his ear canal. It was right next to the door! He jumped up and stuck to the stairwell directly above him, trembling and hugging it closely. He didn't make a sound.

A jaguar just like him rushed through the door, stopping directly below him. He held his breath and closed his eyes, expecting the raging lunatic to riddle him any second.

"See ya, kid..."

As soon as he heard the words, he propelled himself headfirst toward the wall, the gunfire following him. He jumped off the wall, slinging a web onto the wall behind the thug. The web pushed into him as it moved with Danny in a slight circle, like a compass.

His heart blasted in his chest, every nonessential function of his brain shut down. He webbed the gun and grabbed it, instinctually aiming and pulling the trigger. The panther grunted and groaned as bullets impacted his body armor viciously. He depleted the gun's clip, but the assailant was still alive. So he jumped off the wall and landed an elbow in the middle of his chest with his teeth bared, cracking the armor and several ribs. The panther's arms silently went to his chest, hugging himself. He didn't care whether the cat lived or died. He just wanted to stay alive himself.

He immobilized him as he usually handled criminals and moved on. He peeked around the corner and saw several barrels aimed at him, retracting just in time to keep from getting his head blown off. Oh geez! What now? They had him cornered. He didn't see any vents in here. And time was running out. The guns outside were still firing. How many of these rich, murderous thugs were there in Zootopia!

He had one chance. He had noticed that in front of the door was a hallway that turned right from the vantage point of the robbers, who were at Danny's right. He secured the door to keep it open. One chance. As soon as the firing stopped, he webbed the wall a ways down the hallway and pulled as hard as he could, rocketing out through the door toward that connection point.

Gunfire... he didn't hesitate. He immediately jumped up through one of the ceiling tiles and stuck to a pipe. He then crawled along the piping toward the gang.

Suddenly, holes were being torn through the tiles a few feet in front of him. Agh! Bad idea, he was trapped! A bullet grazed his thigh, causing him to yelp - more from the shock. Pain flared a second after it hit.

He turned around, about to jump through a tile. Suddenly, the firing slowed to a halt. There was the clicking of clips being shoved in.

Not wasting a second, he erupted through the tile right in the middle of the group of robbers. There was shouting. Danny tripped one of them and grabbed a gun, immediately leaping out of the group while firing the gun at them. They scurried and dove for the floor.

Blood sprayed from the neck of one of them. Danny dove behind the corner, firing the gun from around it at random. This was crazy! He was going to die here! There were still four of these guys left! He stopped firing and backed away from the corner.

He heard footsteps rushing toward the corner. In response, he shrunk down and waited. As soon as one of them came around the corner...

BANG!

Three to go.

He grabbed the side of his thigh, which was burning terribly. He'd be ok. It wasn't bleeding too bad.

There was a phhoomp! and a small, round object bounced and clinked off the floor tiles, hitting the wall.

All alarms going off, he couldn't move. After what felt like five minutes, he turned webbed the wall down the corridor, time dragging so slowly he could see every detail of everything before his eyes.

BOOM! His ears rang loudly as he was knocked forward, landing on his stomach. He had barely escaped the worst of the blast. He panicked, looking up. The three remaining bad guys were standing there, one with their launcher raised. Silently, another small object soared out of the gun toward him, landing a few feet away from him. Time slowed down again. He was petrified. Suddenly, his whiskers twitched, and as quick as lighting he webbed the ball into his waiting paw and chucked it at the thugs, who had no time to react... BOOM!

He felt it much more than heard it this time. He covered his ears to keep the noise out. He was about to crack. His breath hitched constantly. He stayed curled in a ball on the floor, not wanting to move. Or even open his eyes.

Judy... Nick!

Trembling, he forced himself up and began walking toward the muffled noises. His hearing was returning. The mangled corpses of the remaining robbers lie a few feet away from where they had stood a moment ago. Everything swayed. He wasn't breathing. His eyes were wide. He looked at his paws and... the... the fur was standing on end... his flesh shown almost white underneath it.

He turned another corner and there...

No... Oh, he was dizzy.

Liability, Danny. That's what you are. A liability. He wanted to throw up.

Not him...

He suddenly realized how he had recognized him so quickly: he was looking straight at him. Now he was coming toward him!

"Danny. How are you, my boy?" he asked cheerfully as the polar bear kept firing. "It's so good to see you. I'm afraid this is a really bad time to catch up..."

Danny backed up and tripped over a chair, continuing on his paws and feet. He hyperventilated in terror. At that moment, the bear was reloading. And his head snapped back, a stream of red spattering the wall behind him. Kenten didn't even seem to notice.

"...I'm on a bit of a tight schedule. So," he pointed the gun at him, "I'll talk to you later in Hell."

BANG! BANG! The gun fell from his paw.

"GET...! Get AWAY FROM HIM!" he heard a voice screeching distantly. The massive leopard groaned as he gripped his armor-protected forearm. He was tackled by a pair of rhinos.

His vision began to narrow. He saw everything through a bright tunnel. Everything sounded far away and muffled.

"...Honey, look at me..." He flinched at the voice and looked around, gasping for air. He didn't know where he... where was he?! Who is that! "Danny, it's ok, you're safe." The voice was clearer. He heard his own breathing - panicked, trembling. "It's ok, Honey... I'm here!"

He heard another voice behind him. "Lie down... Come on, lie down." Danny, still trembling, still breathing erratically, felt soft, padded paws cradle his head and neck and guide him to the floor. The paws scratched the top of his head and his neck as the voice above him whispered for him to breathe. His vision cleared and he saw Nick's face hovering above him.

He whimpered. Tears began to roll from his eyes.

"I can't do this, anymore," he sobbed. "Please, please, don't make me do it again!" He wracked as he bawled, covering his face. "I can't!"

Judy pulled him close and held his head to her chest. She shushed him and shed tears of her own. "We won't, baby, we won't. Shh, it's ok. It's over."

The officers not handling the struggling leopard watched the scene as their hero broke, marveling in varying degrees of awe, having witnessed this young kid put everything on the line for them. They all knew and agreed with Judy that none of them had any intention of asking anything more of him. He'd done enough. He'd suffered enough.


Kenten continued struggling with the rhinos and a hippo officer, his claws flying. Suddenly, he was hit in the arm by a dart. He hadn't considered that. It was a perfect opportunity to show how much of a nuisance he was. He continued fighting, allowing them to inject him with two more darts. He laughed at them, showing that it wasn't working. Of course it wasn't; his heightened energy output and supercharged metabolism made him mostly immune.

The other officers watching Danny began to notice the struggle and helped immobilize the huge leopard, cuffing him with two sets of titanium cuffs.

"Douglass Kenten, you're under arrest for possible conspiracy, multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, resisting arrest, and being a complete waste of life!" Higgins spat as he finished. The leopard struggled against the officers, who saved themselves the confusion over why the tranqs weren't working. He was yanked up by his collar and dragged forcibly to a cruiser. A couple of the officers had to be held back lest they maul him as he was thrown in. They had every right to be angry. The cops who were injured or dead... they were good friends. Kenten would pay for that, they would make sure.

What they didn't know was, inside, Kenten was grinning. They were springing their own trap. Assuming everything else went well.


Danny's head rested in Nick's lap. His eyes were closed as his parents comforted him. He calmed down after a while. But he was... what word could be used to describe it? He would need time to get past this. A lot of time.

Eventually, Snarlov offered to help get him in their cruiser. He picked up the cub like a baby and carried him to their car, setting him in the backseat and buckling his seatbelt. They thanked the wolf and he saluted them before heading to his own car.

Nick got in the driver's seat, followed by Judy in the passenger's. They looked back at him.

"You wanna go and do something, get your mind off of it?" asked Nick. "See a movie or something?"

Danny sniffled and then nodded silently. They smiled at him.

They allowed Danny to pick the movie. A comedy, of course. No better way to help him feel better than a few laughs. Turns out it was very good. They all loved it.

Danny knew as well as did Nick, Judy, and the officers who had been present at the bank, that he was done. He wasn't cut out for hero work or fighting crime. He was an academic, and that's what he wanted to do. He just wanted to go to school and be a chemistry major. Little did he know, there was little chance he'd ever get the opportunity.


Kenten did everything he could to be the harshest prisoner imaginable. He snapped at the officers, snapped at civilians - everything he could do to give the impression that he was just short of insane, he did.

On the way to the precinct, he mocked and jeered at the officers, who remained completely silent. They had nothing to say to this evil feline.

Three hours of containment later, he was approached by a pair of officers, who held up a court-ordered prison ledger for the leopard. "Guess who's heading to Catswell, kitty?" the officer said in a sing-song voice.

YES! Kenten screamed inside, though he strained to show the opposite. He rushed the bars, gnashing his teeth. The officers laughed at him.

It took twenty armored SWATs to transport the cat to the prison. He was forced into an orange jumpsuit, which was surprisingly indestructible even for the leopard. He was then wrestled into the prison.

And the exact words he wanted to hear: "Put him in solitary for a week... see how he likes that..."

He was practically thrown into the room, landing on his stomach as the door slammed shut. "Have fun, you little..." he spat the expletive through the steel door. The only light came from a single bulb in the ceiling. Anyone would be desperate to escape from this room.

But he wasn't just anyone.

Everything he had planned had fallen right into place. He could hardly contain himself. Hold on... he had to make sure... and there they were. The five vials he had given to Bellwether, who had had her cellmate place them just behind a rock in the corner. He had worried that they would break, or they would be found, or the sheep would do something with them just to spite the predator... but she had done what he'd asked.

The vials reminded him of what he had been dreading since long before he'd gotten here. The reason he'd had surgery crudely performed on himself... a part of him wondered if he really was crazy.

He unbuttoned his jumpsuit slowly, trying to prevent his anticipation from making him back off. He was not turning back. He stroked the incision lightly. He felt the pus secreting from the infected wound coat the pad on his finger. Using a claw, he tore through the stitches as fast as possible. The stinging pain forced a stifled moan from him. He breathed deeply, tremulously, wanting nothing more than to get this over with. It was worth it. He flexed his tail and brought it to his mouth, biting it with his teeth. He knew he'd bite into it. But that pain would be nothing compared to this...

He readied his paws at either side of the incision, staring straight ahead. He was shaking. Get them fast and then writhe in agony.

His breaths were shallow. Ready or not, he was doing it anyway. His eyes squeezed shut.

He ripped the skin apart, immediately biting into his tail in burning anguish. He refused to make a sound. His paw dug through the muscle, through the fat, through the greater omentum. His chin dripped with blood from his tail, blood oozing and dripping from his arms and elbows.

There! Got them! Immediately, he pulled his paw from his belly. And he collapsed to the floor.


"Ok. Just go inside and relax," said Nick. "We'll be home in a couple hours. We have to go to another station for a while."

Danny nodded and stepped out, heading up to the door and opening it with Judy's key. They drove off.

He paused before he entered. He didn't want to be alone right now. He closed and locked the door and started toward the precinct.

Suddenly, the lights went out.


He came to, clutching the rebreathers. His paw went to his stinging side. He groaned softly. He had to do it now before he expired from septic shock. He plugged one of the vials into a rebreather, inserting its needle into the cork that kept the concentrated gas contained. He hesitated a moment, shaking his head in amazement. It had worked. Everything he'd planned... was all so he could be right here, holding this power in his paws, one deep breath away from having it permanently.

He recalled all that had brought him here, all the mammals who had been a part of this. John Serpiento, Clara Whiskera, Nigel Witfurr, Peter Andrews... Daniel Arcturus.

Yes, he may have been a nuisance at times, but he was actually one of his most useful assets. He proved to be more successful in the few jobs he was given than most of the other enforcers at the time. And this breakthrough in biotech... it couldn't have been done without him.

"You have my thanks, Arcturus," he whispered before putting the rebreather to his face. He made sure it was sealed and pressurized before releasing the gas.

The gas was dispensed with a high-pitched hiss. It had a strangely pungent, enjoyable scent. He breathed deeply, inhaling the gas fully into his lungs. It was cold. He shivered as the cold sensation filled his chest. He shivered harder as the cold began to spread throughout his body. He shivered harder and harder until he realized he wasn't shivering, he was convulsing.

His body seized again and again as he grunted and yelled involuntarily. He fell to the floor, scraping the bed aside. The cold was instantly replaced with horrendous sensations of pressure and stabbing pain throughout his body as if every muscle were tearing in half. He heard himself still seizing and grunting, yet he felt still. The single light went out, but his night vision allowed him to still see clearly.

It's worth it, it's worth it, IT'S WORTH IT! he screamed inwardly before everything went black.

Only a second passed before he groggily opened his eyes. Or, at least, it felt like a second. A heavy feeling of fatigue lay on him as he tried to get up. But, surprisingly, it faded very quickly. He shook his head and tried to perform a kick-up...

Wham!

He fell back to the floor, realizing he had slammed into the ceiling. Yet... not only did it not hurt; he felt the concrete give! He looked up and saw a leopard-shaped dent in the smooth concrete. Slowly, he looked down at his body. And he realized with a grin...

It worked. IT WORKED!


He walked a little faster. He was almost to the precinct. One block to go. Danny could see, for the most part, but the sudden power outage was unsettling, to say the least.

He thought a lot as he walked. Seeing Kenten had rattled him to his core. The cat represented everything bad that had happened - his suffering, the rising crime rate, the unrest, his guilt...

He was glad Kenten was in prison. Maybe now, it was all over and he could live his life.


He studied his physique, the dense yet agile muscles that covered him... the sheer power he felt. He had never felt this powerful. He had never experienced the power of a god, and now he was one. He noticed that even the deep abdominal tear was already beginning to heal... his infection was gone.

He growled. It was time for the next part of his plan. He tore off the top half of his "indestructible" jumpsuit, which wouldn't fit him anyway. He made a makeshift pocket in his tattered pants and carefully stuffed the other vials and rebreathers into it. He stepped up to the thick, metal door. Oh, he had waited for this.

"Hey, guard!" He waited for the idiot to show his mug.

"Yeah, what you want, kitty, kitty? I heard you yelling in there. Kitty want his b-"

The leopard kicked the door off of its hinges. It flew backward, embedding in the wall...

...with the guard under it.

There was a shout to his left. More like a scream, actually. A female water buffalo stood there, horror-stricken by the carnage she had witnessed. His lips curled in a snarling grin as he pounced... he needed something from her.

The door to the main cell block cafeteria burst open. Kenten strutted in deliberately. There were shouts of guards who backed away momentarily, but then rushed him. He made short work of them and took their pistols, putting one in his waist and holding the other in his paw, racking the slide to cock it.

Every eye was on the leopard - prisoners and guards who were smart enough not to challenge him. He looked around the room as he calmly, slowly, walked toward the center of the cafeteria, stepping up onto a table.

He continued looking around, surveying the prisoners. He noticed a diminutive sheep sitting at a table, who suddenly wore a victorious grin.

"Freeze!"

Kenten whipped around so quickly that he startled even himself, and shot a bullet into the guard's head. The guard fell back and never moved again. The prisoners watched in fear and awe, many of them backing off. This was not a leopard they wanted to mess with. Some of the prisoners, taking advantage of the guards' shock, ganged up on them, beating them into the floor. They took their guns and held them above their heads, some with a growl. In response, the room erupted into a loud cry. Kenten lifted his paws in a gesture to quiet the prisoners. They fell silent, watching him in anticipation and waiting for what he had to say.

...My subjects...

He opened his mouth and spoke calmly, articulately. "How is it that I see so many of my kind in here?"

Some looked at each other, wondering what he wanted to convey. "Zootopia. The city of opportunity.

Of change.

The cornerstone of modern civilization. For hundreds of years, mammals have evolved vast intelligence, built monumental structures... breathtaking developments have been made... in science... in mathematics... in literature, the arts... and yet, the world is more divided than ever. How do I know that? Because... you, my brothers and sisters, my fellow predators... are no longer the apex in this world."

Many of the predators there nodded their heads, verbalizing agreement. Others began to show up and listen. Predators began to clap in response to this godlike feline. The few prey in the room looked around nervously. "Before Zootopia, predators reigned. We were the keepers of balance in the world. When the world's balance was shaken, predators were the ones appointed to restore balance. And that balance was always restored by means of control over the prey that we were to reign over. So... why, in the face of logic, are predators the ones today being preyed upon?"

"Yeah! Preach!"

"It wasn't very long ago... when predators were, once again, persecuted for their nature... we were locked up. Cast out. Demonized. Assaulted. And the prey... did they not wrongfully become what we were by nature? So, I ask you, my friends, why not show the world our nature? You all know. That's why you're in here, IS IT NOT! Because you were following your nature?!"

The crowd shouted affirmation, riling themselves up.

"Come with me. I intend to restore that balance. And don't be afraid. This, what is happening today..." he waved his arms to indicate... "is now happening all across the world. Come with me." He held up a ring of jingling keys. "We will restore this earth to what it once was: PREDATOR AND PREY WHERE THEY SHOULD BE!"

The prison walls shook at the roars that were released by the lions, the howls by the wolves, the chuffs by the tigers, the growls by the panthers... all following the fever pitch of the moment. And they were about to find out that this leopard would not disappoint.

"Hey! Let me go!" A cougar pushed through the crowd, carrying... ha! Bellwether. She struggled against the cougar. "Doug! Help me!"

"Why?"

Her eyes widened in incredulity. "I gave you the serum!"

"Yes, but do you not remember that I agreed to allow you to come with me? I never said I would keep you from them..."

Her jaw dropped as the prisoners, laughing and growling, began to converge on her and on the other prey in the room...

Kenten led the prisoners to the armory, where they watched as Kenten massacred every guard. Their size couldn't protect them against him. Then, he went from cell to cell, opening each one that contained a predator... leaving the prey. They all chanted his name as they followed along and brutally killed every guard they came across. Kenten eventually threw the keys away and began to rip the doors off of their hinges, causing the crowd to cheer even louder, many even to kneel down to him.

He managed to hear the ringing from the phone he had retrieved over the noise. Pulling it out, he answered the call.

"Yes?"

"Sir... got some news..."


He heard a scrape behind him, causing him to jump and turn. He was still anxious from what had happened earlier today. Especially since night had fallen hard.

There was the sound again. He started to jog. He was almost there-

BANG

There was a bright flash accompanied by a loud sound. He was blind. His ears rang. He swung his arms in terror, grunting to...

"Unh!" he groaned as something hit the back of his head. He tried to see who or what it was, but he couldn't see past the stars and blob of afterimage. He tried his best to find which way he had been going. The picture started to clear up. He saw the precinct right up ahead of him! He had to just get to it! Suddenly, someone stepped in front of him from behind a building. Holding...

...His ears rang again.

...What just happened? he thought. It felt like he had been punched very hard in the chest. But all he saw... were two more bright flashes. And... it felt like... the punches had gone all the way through his chest. Gradually, the pressure transformed into a slight burn, like a bar of warm metal. He felt something sticky beneath his shirt. The burning sensation intensified. He wasn't breathing. The mammal had disappeared. There was no one left. Those two flashes. Did they... no. No. He continued forward.

His chest felt heavy. He wanted to take a breath but... for some reason he was scared to. He just wanted to get to the building in front of him. He felt tired, as if every second drained more energy. Even taking short steps was difficult. He made it to the side of the building, his shoulder falling against it. He strained to turn around, wincing from the pain the effort caused him. He was growing lightheaded. His body screamed for oxygen. His back landed fully on the wall and he collapsed to the ground. That was when he opened his mouth and...

He struggled to inhale, searing pain flaring in his chest at his lungs filled with precious air. What was the point of denying it anymore? He knew. He knew exactly what had happened, from the moment he saw the flashes.

He just... what did he do? Why now? Did he do something to make this happen? Was this justice? He'd tried to change... he tried! And it all still came down to this?

He forced another breath, grunting as he released it.

A hot, liquid warmth rolled down his lower back. He could faintly taste its coppery aroma. It was the same smell that was permanently burned into his brain that day when his dad...

His eyes widened in horror as he realized it. The same thing. The same thing all over again... now it was his turn.

Liability, Danny. Liability... Judy. Judy, please! Mom!

Worthless. Weight. Dangerous... Please, I can't do this alone!

Basket case. Alone. Forsaken... God, please, please get her here. I need her so bad. I need her!


"Danny? You all right, kid?" a familiar voice called out. He didn't move. He was too scared to. "You ok? What's wrong?" He came closer to... he gasped, backing up. Danny heard brief static. "Clawhauser! I need an ambulance at the precinct! Now!" His voice warbled as he gave the order. But no one answered. "Clawhauser! Somebody!" He shook his radio and tried again but no one answered. "HELP! SOMEBODY! HELP!" he shouted, hoping someone would hear. "Danny, hold on, ok?" he said before the grimacing cub gasped for another breath of fire.

A minute later, several officers began to arrive at the spot, some gasping, demanding to know what happened. A few of them divided into groups of two, pulling out their guns and splitting up to search the area. The rest stayed with Danny. Two large, dark blots had formed on either side of his chest, staining his gray shirt. His head was turned to the side, resting against the side of the building as he grimaced and groaned in pain. Soon, every officer in the precinct for the shift was standing there. Wolfard continued giving him encouragement to hold on.

"Let me through. Let me through, MOVE IT!" growled the buffalo as he pushed through the group. They parted and the old chief knelt in front of the boy. "What happened?" he asked Wolfard.

"I-I-I... I-I don't know. I-I just came out here and... he-he..." he took a tremulous breath, too shocked to think straight.

The chief nodded in understanding. "Fangmeyer. AED and first aid kit. Now."

The tigress turned and sprinted back to the building on all fours.

"We have officers searching the area?"

"Yes."

Bogo settled into his practiced routine of comforting the victim. "Don't worry, son, we got an ambulance on the way."

"Sir..." Wolfard's voice warbled.

"What!" he barked at the gray wolf, whose face was marked by despair.

"We tried. The cell system isn't working."

The chief's eyes widened. Danny took another gasp for air. Bogo turned to him, thinking. "The landline should still work. Has anyone tried that?"

Clawhauser answered. "We-we can't get ahold of any hospitals. Everything's down."

"Everything?! Give me a cell phone!... Come on!" Rhinowitz gave him his and Bogo dialed 911.

"We're sorry, we are not able-" he grunted and tried again. Same result. He dialed a friend who worked at a hospital nearby. Again, same thing. He huffed. The nearest hospital was seven miles away. And a chest wound... they had cars but didn't even know if the hospitals were functioning. His arm dropped limply. Danny would have to just... hold on. He gave the phone back. Fangmeyer came back with the kit and the AED and immediately turned and sprinted back.

"Wait, where are you going!" shouted Bogo.

"Someone has to try to reach Nick and Judy!" She ran to Clawhauser's desk. They had told her that they were going to Precinct Two. Maybe they were still there.

The phone rang. So they were still up. Somehow the lights were out, along with many of the appliances and local cell towers, but electricity was still on. And direct lines still functioned. So why couldn't they reach the hospital landlines?

"Precinct Two."

"This is Officer Fangmeyer from Precinct One. We have an emergency here, a panther cub who's been critically wounded. Can you send an ambulance here? We can't reach any hospitals at the moment."

"Oh. I'm-I'm sorry to tell you this, but we can't reach the hospitals here, either. Or in any part of the districts, really. Whole city's down, except for landlines and wireless equipment." The whole city? The phone nearly fell from her paw. She steeled herself for what she was about to have to do. "Are the Wildes there?"

"Yes, hold on."

After a minute, Judy's voice came up... "Is everything all right there, Fang?"


Fangmeyer walked slowly back, holding back tears. The officers had huddled around the cub like a shield. His shirt had been cut and the electrodes placed. The device beeped continually as it monitored his heart rhythm. Bogo and Wolfard both did their best to keep him comfortable as they cleaned and tried to bandage his wounds, but there was little help they could give beyond that. There was no comfortable position he could shift into. Not like this... he had been shot on both sides of the chest. What comfort could they give except their presence? Danny writhed, dark droplets dripping off of his chin onto the bandages wrapped around his chest. He coughed and gagged periodically, blood spurting from his throat. He struggled just to breathe. Just to stay awake. His eyes were wide. He was scared...

"Let me through!" a shrill voice rang out. The group parted, allowing the bunny and fox through. Without a word, she knelt before him and tried to compose herself enough for his sake. "Danny?" her voice cracked. "Can you hear me?"

He seemed to relax ever so slightly. He turned his eyes toward the voice and saw Judy's face less than a foot away, her nose twitching and her ears stiff behind her. He opened his mouth to say something.

"Sh-sh, don't talk. Rest." She came closer and stroked his cheek, bringing out a smile and a brief purr from him.

Why? Why did this happen?

"You're gonna be ok," she said. "You'll get through this."

Danny didn't respond. He was just glad she was there. His prayer had been answered. It was at that moment he realized... the pain was gone. His chest was warm, yet numb. He wasn't even sure if he was breathing anymore. His vision was getting darker.

It must've meant it was time to go.

Weakly, he reached up and pulled her into a hug, wordlessly thanking her for everything she had done for him. Loving him without reason, helping him be something other than a criminal. Being his mother...

Giving him a chance at a real life.

His eyes turned to Nick. He remembered the jokes they told each other, spending time together. He'd forgotten all the times they had butted heads. All he remembered was the kindness and wisdom he'd given him. My dad...

He did his best to speak to him with his weary eyes. Thank you.

Nick, his lower jaw quivering as he sniffled lightly, smiled and nodded.

Danny struggled to inhale and speak. He had to tell her before he went.

Judy, unable to accept reality, kept her arms wrapped tight around his neck, clinging to the hope that perhaps he...

His arm slid from her back. His head lolled slightly. He stopped moving. His body relaxed.

The AED let out a continuous beep.

She jolted back, staring in her son's face - he looked as if he were just on the verge of saying something. Her mouth gradually opened, her face molding into a visage of horror.

"Oh..." she squeaked quietly. "Oh... oh..."

Silence fell among the officers, all around them.

Nick's smile fell. He breathed heavily, unable to process anything. He fell numb all over.

Chief Bogo's posture wilted. Danny... his heart had just... stopped. No fight. No chances. He was gone. He stumbled backward under the weight of what he had witnessed. He had felt many things during his career. Victory, loss, regret, hope, joy, love, pride, confidence, shame... he had seen many mammals gunned down over the years. But nothing could compare to the feeling that came as he watched Judy.

"Oh, no, NO!" she rasped in a hoarse wail. She shook her son's lifeless body and cried out weakly. "Danny! Dannyyyy! Dann-AAAAAAA-HAAAAAA!" She pulled him close as she wailed, his head falling loose over her shoulder. The chief absently turned around and walked back slowly toward the entrance. He made his way up the four floors to his office and sat at his desk in the dark. He couldn't remember most of the trip. He couldn't get the sound Judy made out of his head. It had made him imagine how he would have reacted if his little girl... no wonder he was cut so deeply by this. He never would have been had his Button never shined on his life.

He picked up a picture frame that sat on his desk. He couldn't see it, but he had stared at it so many times, he didn't need to see it to know every color, every line, every detail. It was a picture of his wife Sarah in bed with their eleven-month-old daughter, pointing at her and laughing. It was a picture that got the hardened, grumpy, old buffalo through so much.

He choked out a small sob.


Fangmeyer sobbed on Delgato's shoulder as he comforted her. Clawhauser blubbered and whimpered, rocking back and forth on the ground. Wolfard knelt and closed the cub's eyes and then his mouth, wiping a few stray tears from his own muzzle.

Judy's wails had ceased, and she had settled into quietly weeping against her son's neck.

Nick sat still on the sidewalk behind Judy, wondering why he wasn't feeling anything. He couldn't feel a thing?! What was wrong with him! He didn't know how much time had passed. But he knew it was time for the next shift when several second shift officers came and began to help secure the area, a tigress loudly demanding why they were all standing around. Wolfard pulled her aside and explained the situation carefully. Once the tigress was brought up to speed, she murmured that she thought her phone just wasn't working.

A little while later, a pair of paramedics approached Judy and Danny's body. They had been contacted by a friend through the tigress' roommate, she said.

"Judy," Nick whispered, picking her up. "They have to take him."

She weakly tried to reach out to him but missed. Nick carried her like a small child, curled up against him. She quietly watched over his shoulder as the paramedics laid her baby in a black bag and closed it. It was over.

She silently buried her face in his shoulder.


As soon as Nick pulled into the garage and turned the car off, he opened his mouth to offer to cook dinner. She ambled out of the car, her ears weakly hanging behind her. She moved as if she had aged fifty years. She opened the door and walked through, leaving it open behind her. Nick sat for a moment, not wanting to move all of a sudden.

He forced himself to. He needed to care for her and be there with her. He closed the garage door and walked in. She was nowhere to be seen. He finally found her in the bathroom lying on her side, her back to the door. He went to...

"Nick," she whispered faintly, "please, just leave me alone."

Not knowing what else to do, he sighed and closed the door quietly.

Judy stared blankly at the photo in her paws. It was the selfie she had taken that night on the train to Bunnyburrow, the night she decided that this boy was hers. She had printed it off and kept it in her pocketbook. Just days before she decided to retire from the force to raise her son. He'd done everything he could to do what was right. And yet...

He was gone. The world made sure of that.


Thelonious closed the door quietly. In any other circumstance, he would be more than open to talking about the events of the day. But today... he dreaded that talk. The house was dark, but there were a number of lit candles around. Sarah was good at being prepared.

"Thel?" he heard. His wife stood in the threshold of the kitchen and the living room, beckoning him. He straggled into the kitchen, pulling out a chair and sitting down roughly.

"That bad, huh?" She stroked at the side of his head. "Tell me."

"Sarah, you know of Daniel Arcturus, right?"

"M-hm, of course. I saw him on the news. Is he ok?'

"He was killed tonight." Sarah withdrew her hoof with a slight gasp.

Thelonious told her the whole story, everything they knew, at least. She listened carefully, not asking any questions. She knew this wasn't so much sharing as it was catharsis. He had to get it off his chest. Once he finished...

...he took a trembling breath and sat still for a moment. His eyes began to grow red. "Sarah... was there something else I should have done? Could I have saved his life?"

She was shaking her head. She stroked her husband's cheek. "No, no, Honey, you did everything you were supposed to. Sometimes it... it just doesn't work." Thelonious suddenly broke down, leaning forward and wracking with silent sobs. Sarah pulled him close and laid his head against her breast, shushing him. "It's ok, you did everything right."

"It's just... I've never had to watch someone suffer like that before..." he struggled to say.

"Shh, I know, I know..."

"Daddy, awe you cwying?"

"Oh!" He wiped his eyes. This is embarrassing.

She came close and... oh! With those big, round, curious eyes... she was perfect. She tilted her head when he sniffled and wiped his nose.

"Why you cwying, Daddy?"

He picked her up. He couldn't lie to that face. "Because... I'm a sappy old fool, that's why. And..." he made a playfully devious face "...you know who's also sappy?"

She began to cry out in anticipation of what was coming. He lay her across his lap and began to tickle her. "You are, you sappy little devil!" She squealed and squirmed as she tried to escape. He tickled her for a minute before picking her up, blowing a raspberry into her cheek. He hugged her close and laughed with her. Oh, she was the best medicine for a wounded spirit.

Sarah watched her husband and daughter joyfully play around. Sophia shouldn't have been up this late, but it was what her Thel needed.


At that moment... that exact moment... a prison door burst open to the outside world. And a roar sounded all across the great city of Zootopia...

He had received the news. No one was there to stop him.


Is it over...? Has Kenten won...?

There is a moment inspired by Hancock (played by Will Smith) in this chapter.

I'll try to keep writing when school starts back up next week. I'm going to be super busy, so I won't be able to publish quite as much. But I hope you all are enjoying the story so far.