A New Dawn
Author Introduction
Again I wanted to do something unlike anything done before. Something maybe even too ambitious. I wanted to see what happened if the Zootopia of the Original Script came slamming into the Zootopia of the movie. Have the citizens taken their freedoms for granted? What can the people who love their city do? You say how could this happen? It can happen to anyone who is not vigilant. It is happening every day in societies all over the human Earth and the universe. Granted this is the world of the Original Script on massive steroids cranked up to 11 on a scale of 10 as Nigel from Spinal Tap would say. But hey, how about a little challenge. Okay how about one beyond any sane imagination. I never said I was sane. Nick's motto is never let them know they get to you. Mine is go big or go home.
There is quite a lot going on in Volume 2. It was never supposed to get so involved with so many different subplots, but it just sort of happened as the work went along. I suppose it is better than having nothing happening at all like in so many other stories. The dynamic relationship of the main three characters and their ever developing feelings for each other serves an important purpose with respect to the main plot. As such things will become quite dangerous with the changing landscape of power in Zootopia. While much of Volume 1 dealt with humanities role, Vol 2 is primarily a Zootopia story, but the furless creatures will definitely have a say in what happens. This work is definitely of a more M (Mature) nature than Vol 1 with some parts M+ or M+++. Nothing crude or graphic but definitely suggestive as all fucking hell. Any chapters with any mature subject matter will be marked as such at the top. It is not all doom and gloom. It has loads of fun stuff and even some sexy time. It has Judy at a sex club – a chapter that brings a huge smile just thinking about it. If there is a scenario to make the characters uncomfortable – well that is what happens – and hilarity ensues. I never said this was kiddie Zootopia.
This and Vol 1 both are very logical and character-centric. Characters need to try and stay true to who they are and their very nature and act logically although their new experiences will influence this a good bit. This got me in trouble as I wrote them true to their nature and everything went out of control and required a rewrite and complete reordering of chapters. I am a slave to the characters and story. I am just a monkey typing away listening to their story in my head. I just start and everything just flows wherever it will go on its own. None of what occurred in the last two thirds of Chap 3 was supposed to happen but damn that fox outfoxed me and gave me so much extra work. He is a worthy adversary always screwing up all my well laid plans. But it led to one of my favorite chapters in Chapter 4. Anyway you will see what I mean.
Vol 1 was more of a work of science fiction. Vol 2 is more about love in all of its forms and fighting for what your believe in and not taking anything for granted. Reading Vol 1 is not necessary although I encourage you to read and enjoy it. I was developing as a writer as I wrote it as it was the first serious work I have ever attempted. It may have been a bit ambitious, okay a lot ambitious, but I was very pleased at the end result. The final 11 chapters were everything I could have hoped for. I hope you enjoy Vol 2 and feel free to comment. If you enjoy it or even if you don't, tell your friends. The more the merrier.
Zoodate: 201 P.C. (P.C. is Post Covenant (aka The Commencement of the Covenant's Operation Freedom))
(The events of the story bounce around a bit so this convention was chosen to understand the relative timeline. Events are listed in days relative to the climax at the Western Power Plant and Covenant attack. For reference the events at the very end of the Vol 1 epilogue took place at 31 P.C.)
blackness
As light begins to break the peaceful blackness, all that exists is smoke. Her eyes sting and fill with tears as the thick clouds of black assault her optics. Even her long lashes are no help against this onslaught.
What is that sound? She hears screams… screams of pain and sorrow… but where is it coming from? It sounds like it coming from all around. The sound explodes in her head. Wait… the scream sounds familiar. Where has she heard it before? Wait… I recognize that scream. It's Me!
A form grabs her… picks her up like she is a rag-doll. A powerful force of pure muscle and power. She feels the world shaking, pounding, hurling past her. The form leaps impossibly high. She is flying. Looking up she sees blackness. The black vapor surrounding her is gone. She tries to wipe tears from her eyes with her hoof but they still sting. Wham! Her breath is knocked from her like a giant weight has pressed down on her chest but she feels herself rolling and then instantly she feels massive legs press forward and the weight is gone, but her body is thrown forward. Shouts come from all around her. Whizzing sounds from her left and right. Another large form is parallel to her path on her right and moves ahead. She senses the forms are not malicious but instead benevolent. She doesn't know how she knows this but she senses it. The many forms behind her are not however. The form carrying her suddenly rolls to the right and she sees a giant net sail past. The world turns upside down and then forward again all in one motion like she was on the tightest corkscrew turn ever on a roller coaster. She hears a soft thud land mere centimeters from her and the form carrying her yelps. She feels the strength of its form start to diminish. The form yells "I'm Hit!" into the nothing in front. It screams "Take Her! I'll deal with these fucks!" She then feels herself flying into the air. Leaving the powerful arms of her friend. She knows it is a friend, a long time companion, a love. As she sails in the air she hears shouts from behind and then screams of pain. She senses the screams are from those who have come face to face with with that friendly force whose arms she just left.
Suddenly another equal power has her in its arms instantly pushing off with impossible thrust as she flies into the air. She senses more creatures of impossible strength and agility on her left and right moving ahead of her. She realizes the screaming has stopped. As she turns her head and looks to the face of the powerful entity of impossible grace and power she sees orange and black. She sees a massive tongue panting and huge white fangs and teeth. But she does not fear the form. Far from it… she feels comforted by its presence. She recognizes that face. It is a face she sees every day.
"Ravi!" She finds herself exclaiming just out of some instinct deep in her memory.
The form she knows as Ravi bounds effortlessly beside her panting, "We got you girl. Just hang on."
She recognizes the voice from ahead… Blaze!
Blaze turns his head while running and manages to utter between heavy breaths, "We've got to get off the street before they catch up. Saber will slow them down a bit."
Saber… where does she know that name from. She sees an image in mind. A gorgeous creature of impossible grace and beauty. A friend she has known for many years. She recognizes the third voice from ahead on the left. It is Zeus! Her first... but first of what?
The creature known as Zeus runs with the others but holds a phone up informing them, "Ben says we have exit ahead in five hundred meters. Look under the large BugBurga billboard. We're gonna need to get some distance though first for this to work."
She hears shouts and noises coming from behind them. Large lights flash in their direction reflecting off the walls of buildings.
All four forms flinch as the wall to their left explodes knocking them to the ground. They instantly all stagger and take off with her being carried along as if part of the wind.
Ravi desperately exclaims, "We've got to slow them down or they have us!"
Blaze has a moment of inspiration and yells out, "I've got it. Good Luck! Love you Zel baby…"
She feels a tongue gently lick her face and the form is gone. She feels sadness deep in her soul. Anguish drives tears from her eyes as she senses this may be the last time she hears that beautiful voice.
She hears a giant roar from behind her and she is thrown forward.
She suddenly realizes the who and where!
She is Gazelle. Welcome to Zootopia.
How did she end up here? The answer is not a simple one.
It started with false promises as these things often do. It started with promises of peace and safety. It started with promises of a united Zootopia. A loving and beautiful Zootopia safe and secure. How could such wonderful ideals be so fraudulent?
They came with a name that sounded so safe and pure. They called themselves The Protectors. The Party that would protect Zootopia from all the bad in the world and keep it safe. Even she had been fooled at first. Their symbol was a circle with three arms meeting in the middle: a paw, a hoof, a claw clasped in unity.
From the far south outside their borders lights and strange ships appeared in the air and rumors of missing mammals both prey and predator were all over the streets. Was it another plot like Bellweather's, was it the predator savage movement again, was it a resurgence of the Covenant, was it an invasion by the strange human mammals, was it preparations for an invasion by another force? Theses questions and many more dominated the news and the nervous discussions of the people of the city.
No one had a solution. No one but The Protectors.
They promised the people would be safe. They promised whatever dangers faced Zootopia they would make it prepared to face any challenge. The one danger they neglected to protect against was The Protectors themselves.
They won in a landslide. They took the mayor's seat and two thirds of the council. They took the judge-ships, the top leadership of the ZPD and official positions in almost all areas.
They created the DD, The Defender Division, a special elite force to act above the law for the greater good. The DD gathered the tools to defend Zootopia from all these threats just as promised. The people were elated as they felt safe and secure now. The DD became stronger and more powerful. They were supplied with the best personnel, the latest weapons, vehicles and technology.
In order to pay for this protection they raised the taxes. Tariffs were raised on all food and common goods. Taxes across the board were raised in all areas. They promised these were only temporary until the defense force was fully equipped and the dangers were past. They lied of course.
They took control of all the cameras and the ZPD crime report apps. They needed control of all this in order to monitor the system for any signs of danger they said. They would inform the ZPD of any domestic crimes that needed to be addressed, and would handle all others deemed a threat to Zootopia as a whole. No more could a conspiracy like The Covenant and Bellwether's threaten the people when they closely monitored every mammal, every action, every crime and report looking for any threats.
Sure there were early warnings. But these mainly came from conspiracy nuts like Honey Badger and her Wooly Linkers. Even more mainstream groups from the Linkers, Watch Wolves and Sahara Sentinels screamed "The Protectors were taking control and would soon be unstoppable!" But the people didn't listen. Each group couldn't agree on what to do or give the people a cohesive message.
She tried to get the message out. Oh how she had tried. She put out the word to all her followers warning of the dangers of the power they were gaining day by day. But there was no concrete threat. There was no smoking gun showing any malfeasance. If she had to do it all over she would even be tempted to manufacture false evidence if it could have done any good.
The group was crafty and cunning. They had the majority of the people on their side. They had all the positions of power. Any people of power they did not currently control, they were either finding ways to replace or pressuring them into accepting their leadership and control.
Then came the disappearances. People putting up views contrary to their dogma began to disappear. The DD became the tool in which to silence major critics or anyone who gained an audience with others. She heard Honey and several other conspiracy leaders disappeared but the rumor is they disappeared themselves before they were silenced permanently. The abductions were very scarce initially. They were only rumors and no evidence could be found of a cause, but the DD were seen operating near the instance of each disappearance.
Then came the new rules. The rules which opposed everything the Zootopia she loved stood for.
They started as seemingly simple innocent rules.
Littering became a crime. Anyone seen on the cameras all over the city or anyone recorded by other citizens of committing this crime were subject to fines and even jailed for repeat offenders. Rewards were given to those reporting any incidence of littering.
This seemingly benign law and reporting mechanism by normal citizens was used as a test for the real laws to come. They established an easy streamlined system for reporting fellow citizens and crediting the 'good citizens' with reporting behaviors deemed detrimental to the greater good.
It started with littering, then jay walking, traffic violations and parking infractions. They didn't even need to employ meter maids anymore as citizens were reporting any violators themselves and gaining rewards and perks. Those with higher levels of 'vigilance' could get promotions in their jobs, invited to special parties and gatherings or higher monetary rewards. Some citizens were making a living just reporting the violations of others.
Anyone speaking out against the government and laws or appearing to be a possible threat to the public could be recorded and reported. The Protectors had figured out how to turn the citizens themselves into their own personal monitoring system tracking every resident and possible dissenting voice.
They began monitoring all communications and phone conversations. They started trying to monitor the newly installed internet. They promised they were only looking for conspiracies and threats to the people of Zootopia.
They began threatening and punishing any whistle blowers. Anyone exposing any evidence of their misdeeds were prosecuted by the justice system. Those who exposed the new communications monitoring were all jailed with maximum sentences.
Journalist sources were drying up from fear, and the media was being pressured to kill any story that showed The Protectors in any poor light for the 'public good'. The Protectors claimed that they must be unified to stand against these threats to Zootopia. Any impediment to that unified cohesive message was a threat to the public good and must be dealt with severely.
They changed the language of law so that almost any critic of the government could be prosecuted as a traitor.
Once all these changes were in place. Once the system was setup to to silence any contrary voice and monitor every mammal in Zootopia, then came the true agenda of the Protectors.
The Sexual Morality Act: Any citizens or non-citizens pursuing intimate relationships outside of traditional male and female pairings of the same species are found in violation of the law and can be fined or jailed.
They outlawed all homosexual, transsexual, cross-species or multiple partner sexual relationships. With a simple one sentence law they had outlawed every expression of sexual freedom and love.
Gazelle remembered almost going ballistic as soon as she heard about this law. The law that was so opposed to the Zootopia she knew and loved she couldn't contain her anger or her voice any longer no matter the consequences.
The reasons they gave were worthless. They said it was to protect citizens from the immoral practices that had led to the degeneration of safety of the city. How in the world could anyone possibly buy this load of crap.
There were outcries after this law. She even organized some peaceful protests.
Their response was the passage of a law limited assemblies of citizens for public safety reasons.
The takeover of the city was now in full force. People feared even holding hands or touching anyone of the same sex or a different species in public. The city had become unbearable.
But it was only going to get worse.
The disappearances were increasing at greater and greater rates. People were missing and no one knew where they went or what happened to anyone.
The Disability Act: Those deemed disabled in such a way as to be detrimental to the Zootopian society as a whole will be removed from Zootopian city limits and placed in special care camps where they can be treated and act as productive members of society. Special exemptions can be filed and granted by the Mayor's office.
Those with birth defects, mental handicaps or severe psychological problems were blamed on these immoral sexual relations and removed from normal Zootopian society for the protection of the public and the gene pool. They were moved to camps outside the city to work on farms to pay back the good citizens of Zootopia for their upkeep and care.
Gazelle was getting hit daily with tons of fines for speaking out against all these laws and actions. They had not threatened to jail her or silence her but she had to be closely protected by her tiger dancer/bodyguards and additional security. It was reported that agents of the DD were watching her constantly. She was having to pay all this money in order to avoid jail time to try and speak out and educate the public, but she was helping to finance all their operations in doing so. She had already paid 500,000 Zoot bucks in fines in just a few weeks. It could not continue at this pace. Even she didn't have unlimited funds.
Throughout this entire period she was frantically searching for a leader. She begged anyone who could give them a voice and help bring all the people together to stop this madness to venture forth and stand paw in hoof with her to unite the people. People were so scared to speak out. People were even afraid to speak honestly to their own family members for fear of being reported and possibly taken away. Gazelle wished she knew what to do to fight back. She was trying to do all she could educating her followers. She had to create a private website to inform them of all the violations and help them unite. The Protectors worked to shut this down constantly. Keeping the site up and getting the word out was becoming more difficult and the fines mounting for any of her public pleas.
The Protectors however were using the internet as a giant propaganda tool. They offered all kinds of free media and entertainment mixed with mounds of propaganda promoting their cause and message of hate and bigotry. The were controlling most of the ads on Zoogle for any search terms that might go against their ideology as well as placing ads and pro-Protector messages on all information websites such as news, financial and weather. Their message was come and enjoy all the wonderful good things the Protectors offer while brainwashing them with propaganda to support their moral authority.
In the schools a new pro-Protector message was being pushed indoctrinating the children. The kids had visits by representatives offering all kinds of fun activities pushing their message. Children were encouraged to let their teachers and parents know of any violations they saw or thought were happening in their school and in their lives. The Protectors even were producing game apps for the children and adults with pro-Protector messages both subtle and overt.
Finally a group of predators had enough of these Protectors and started a riot attacking what they saw as the symbol of this oppression. They struck at the DD (Defender Division) Headquarters.
A group of around fifty predators of various species had somehow gotten organized and attacked the DD building. Gazelle hated the thought of violence but hoped that this was the trigger to help the citizens rise up and unite to stand up against the despots. But unfortunately the DD was well prepared for this event, and they used new means of defense including water cannons, long range taser shotguns and a gas called tear gas shot from a cannon type gun which caused temporary blindness, breathing problems and retching. Some of the DD were armed with armor, helmets and shields repelling the predator group. The ZPD was called in to help contain the area and prevent any additional rioters from arriving while the DD assaulted and subdued the predators. The DD took all predators away against the strong objections of the ZPD to something called a rehabilitation camp. The ZPD said they needed to be processed by the normal justice system as they were citizens and a big fight over jurisdiction raged unresolved over the rights of citizens to be tried by the judicial system. The Protectors deemed certain citizens acting against the state as enemies of Zootopia could be tried outside the law without due process. To their credit the ZPD began to fight back against the numerous instances of denials of due process of the law.
The Protectors then issued the final straw for Gazelle.
The Predator Act: All predators from the age of eight forward will be required to wear aggression collars when outside of their designated domiciles. Collars will warn and shock based on levels of aggression. Shocks can also be administered via use of special remote devices by authorized parties including ZPD Officers and DD Members. Use of remote devices by any unauthorized parties will be prosecuted at the maximum penalty. Predators not wearing active collars outside the domicile, found modifying collars in any way, or violating any laws will be required to wear collars at all times and be fitted with non-removable collars. Certain exceptions to the collar requirement include members of the ZPD and DD, and government officials. Special exemptions can be obtained at the Mayor's office. Proper papers and identification must be maintained at all times if exemptions are granted. Those violating this law can be fined and jailed based on the severity and frequency of the infraction.
Followed by…
The Refusal Act: Any businesses have the right to refuse service or enforce separate seating or lines for parties deemed undesirable by the Zootopian Government to include those falling under The Sexual Morality Act, The Predator Act and The Disability Act.
The city she loved had finally lost it's mind. It didn't even resemble the city she once knew. It was now controlled by bullies, bigots and those who hated freedom of any kind. The people were frightened more by those who were supposed to be protecting them than anything else. She would not stand for this any more no matter the consequences.
Her dancers, her friends would never wear such a collar, such an ultimate symbol of oppression. Not if she still had any say.
She said no more. She hoped she would provide an example to others that people can stand up for what is right. That people still had that freedom. It is not civil disobedience when the laws are unjust and the rulers are out of control. She hoped she could at least provide a spark to wake the good citizens of Zootopia she knew were still there but were scared and feeling alone and hopeless. They prayed a leader could help show the people a way to wrest the soul of the city she loved from these oppressors masquerading as protectors.
She knew that the chance of arrest was great and immediately implemented a plan to setup several private communication channels for her followers via the internet and phone system. She had any liquid assets moved into multiple caches out of the possible control by agents of the current government, and placed so that her or her agents could access them if they were on the run. You may wonder why she didn't go underground before this. The problem was all exits to the studio were surrounded she was to be arrested if she stepped outside the studio facilities. She had been stuck living in the studio since the moment she had been posting messages counter to the current government.
Her boys had agreed to wear the collars to protect their Zel from any reprisals but she refused. She told them that she had ignored her principles for far too long, and it was time to make a stand. A final stand against tyranny. She contacted her private followers informing them of her actions and asked them for any help if and when the situation most likely escalated. She then put the final gauntlet down and blasted posts on all message boards, all phone systems, any public fan site, and place she could think of to get the message out that the actions of the current government were barbaric, a crime against the people of Zootopia and she accused them of being criminals, oppressors and vile opposition to all that was decent and good in society.
She said she refused to allow her friends, her dancers, her fellow performers, her bodyguards to give in to this abhorrent government diametrically opposed to everything Zootopia stands for by submitting to collars or any other horrendous discriminatory law they have forced on the citizens she loved. She could not live as a free citizen while other innocents have been dragged from their homes in the dead of night with no due process, or forced to submit to discriminatory laws of every kind and denied basic decent mammal rights. She encouraged anyone who supports her or who loves the true Zootopian spirit of freedom of expression, freedom of love, freedom to be whoever they wanted to be to stand up and resist.
She took a deep breath and sent all the messages all at once. Finally she felt good for the first time since these Protectors took power. She finally stood up to these bullies but she knew the consequences would be dire. There was no way these Protectors could leave this action unpunished. There was a hammering outside the music studio within minutes of sending the posts. One of her dancers came sprinting to her.
He was such as gorgeous boy. A massively muscled powerful tiger with orange fur and black stripes with white accents on his chest and chin. All her boys were the best of the best. The most gorgeous male tigers in Zootopia both inside and outside. She loved them all.
Ravi was out of breath and warned her with immense trepidation in his voice, "Zel, they are at the door with some kind of battering ram. I have to get you out of here."
Gazelle calmly informed him, "You know the plan. Get my Go bag and let's exit through the back garage. You have our internet and communications systems on the portable computer from the human Ambassador's office?"
She had been expecting this moment for quite awhile, and was surprised it had taken so long for them to act against her.
Ravi assured her, "Yep it's all packed."
Gazelle let the tiger know her friend had anticipated this, "Judy knew this was coming and made sure they sent it over."
Ravi expressed relief, "Thankfully she is close with the Ambassador."
Gazelle had some quick orders, "Well let's get the boys and get out of here."
They made their way to the back door. Her boys were all there. They had been through so much together. Her first, Zeus, then Ravi, Blaze and Saber, the best four friends and dancers a girl could have. As long as she had them she would be fine wherever she ended up.
Zeus pulled out of the garage heading toward the back entrance and the exit.
Zeus warned them of trouble ahead, "Fuck! Sorry Zel…. Damn DD shits have the exit partially blocked."
Ravi has a suggestion, "Well we need to ram our way out before they start bringing more backup. I don't know anything else to do."
Gazelle realized there was no choice, "Do it Zeus. I didn't stand up to these pretenders, these oppressors to have them parade me around as an example of what standing up for freedom buys you. "
The driver, Zeus, shouted a warning, "Buckle up. Good thing we ordered the premium package on this SUV."
Zeus gunned the vehicle up the exit. The DD blocking the exit had no idea they would be coming and several forms scattered as their SUV slammed full force into blocking truck spinning it into the middle of the street.
Their SUV had spun as well and the engine had stalled. Zeus was quickly trying to restart it, and finally got it back after thirty precious seconds. As the engine started, he spun it out just as three black armored DD vehicles sped down the entry from the front parking lot. Zeus drove directly out the back and slammed through a thin back retaining wall entering a back street and immediately took off out of Sahara Square downtown where the studio was located, and headed down Palm Street towards Big Dune as fast as he could. They were trying to get to a safe-house in southern Savanna Central offered by one of her high roller fans.
They had the three vehicles behind them but saw a large black truck heading directly from the other direction.
Blaze knew the route well and informed them, "We've got to get across the bridge at Vornoy Plaza and at least make to Riverside to have a chance."
Zeus responded that there were a few issues with the plan, "Working on it but don't think those coming at us are going to cooperate."
Sure enough the truck ahead veered toward them trying to ram them head on. Zeus jerked the steering wheel left at the last moment toward a side street but the vehicle clipped their back and spun them around slamming them into a metal support beam.
A loud crunch and shuddering told them that they just took a massive hit but they bounced free of the support and were able to keep going south moving around a back way trying to reach Vornoy. They had made it to the Vornoy Plaza bridge but saw the other side blocked by several vehicles.
Saber wondered, "Think we could break through that?"
Zeus had an idea, "I'm going to try one of the bridges just north and see if they are any better."
Zeus pulled onto a side street running parallel to the river scanning ahead trying to see if any of the other bridges looked better. The next northern bridge appeared to only have one truck on the other side and then slammed on the accelerator heading full speed across the bridge crossing the lane into the lane left of the truck bypassing it. Three mammals in black DD uniforms dove out the way and Zeus dodged an oncoming car turning south toward Riverside.
Saber inquired, "Where is this place?"
Blaze immediately responded, "South of Prairie."
They had made it in between Riverside and Baobab Blvd. making good time when….
WHAM! The entire the vehicle shuddered and all of a sudden they were airborne and then blackness.
Now they found themselves as fugitives of the law. But not 'The Law'. She refused to recognize any of these new laws as the law. She was on the run from tyrants not the good people of Zootopia.
Their whole group was running for their life panting heavily.
Zeus called out to the others while staring forward, "Is the way clear?"
Ravi looked back at him while holding Gazelle firmly answering, "I think so, Blaze definitely gave us a chance."
Zeus shook his head slightly in frustration, "Well I suppose we have no other choice."
They were now running at full speed toward the BugBurga sign as if their life depended on it. And well… it did.
Gazelle looked ahead and wondered why were we running to a sign? Was Bugga the chain's mascot going to reach out from the billboard and pick them up and whisk them to safety? Well Ben had said this was where they needed to go and she trusted that beautiful chubby ball of fluff more than any of her fans. He had suffered under these tyrants as much as anyone. They still had no idea what happened Ben's love Brian another victim of these DD abductions. These arms of the beast engorging itself on innocent victims.
She didn't need to watch any of these new horror movies they were showing at the cinema as she was living in one. She didn't need anything to artificially raise her adrenaline as she lived that every day now.
Her boys were getting quite tired. They may have massive stamina and endurance built up from years of performance but even they had limits. They had been on foot running at full speed for over ten kilometers swinging, leaping and dodging through city streets trying to lose their pursuers. She looked down and saw she still had her Go bag strapped around her. The sign was coming up but they heard shouts and sounds from behind. They were gaining on them fast.
The air was full of nets, darts, tasers and every other possible type of projectile to end their freedom. They were running out time. No she corrected, they were out of time. An explosion from their left caused them to flinch and swerve sending flying shrapnel raining all around them.
All of sudden a vehicle came from their right out of the blackness heading for them.
Was it a rescue?
No such luck as the black markings of the DD could be seen on the hood. It barreled straight toward them at full speed. The beady eyes of the ram driver and grim expression of loathing on his face a testament to the cruelty of these thugs. She braced for the impact she knew was coming and cringed as the...
She felt a great power from beneath driving her up into the air with impossible strength and she was flying… weightless for an impossible length, frozen in a moment of time staring into those beady ram eyes looking up in shock… as she flew she saw her Zeus in the air next to her flying over the vehicle and then suddenly the ground was coming at them. She felt the massive force slam into her but Ravi rolled as he landed holding her in one arm while holding the other paw extended to take the impact. He rolled shielding her with his shoulder and immediately taking off at full speed without a pause. She saw Zeus had landing on all fours and was sprinting ahead of them running like his ancestors. My what a magnificent sight. He was absolutely gorgeous. The power and grace in that frame was a thing of pure beauty. In any other circumstances she would enjoy this sight but she was a bit preoccupied. Ahead she saw something in the small space under the billboard.
Zeus saw it too and was heading straight for it. Their pursuers seemed to see it as well and began shouting and firing everything they had at them. A small hole about a meter high in the wall! Zeus did not pause and went through on all fours at full speed on his belly. Ravi slid though on his back holding Gazelle on his chest like he was sliding into a base in a pawball game.
Wham! They crashed into orange and fur. They had collided with Zeus. There was no time for apologies as they looked back through hole at their pursuers mere meters from them and then saw nothing as the hole in the wall disappeared. Gazelle looked up to see the tusks of a warthog staring down at her with a grim expression.
The clearly agitated warthog yelled, "That was close. Hurry!"
Ravi and Zeus didn't need prompting and quickly followed the warthog running to a hole in the ground. She saw the warthog and then Zeus disappear. Ravi just blindly jumped depending on his cat reflexes to hopefully keep them from dying. Gazelle felt herself in the air again falling into blackness the lights of the city above disappeared then a splash of water and a thud as Ravi took the full impact with his springlike legs. She looked up to see the warthog sliding the hole above shut with grinding metal sound and a click.
Blackness.
Once again she was in pure blackness but her boys could see apparently as they did not pause running toward some source of light she could not see. All she could hear was a splashing sound of many feet thudding along the surface of tunnel of some kind. They kept running down the tunnels making turn after turn.
The warthog yelled in relief from the darkness, "Here!"
She heard a sliding sound and then the outline of a door opened in the wall and then slid through the partial opening and heard the door slid shut.
She saw they were in a dimly lit room full of old dusty boxes and metal lockers. But only one object in the room had any interest to her. She saw a transport cart with a flat bed back and four wheels. She had never seen such a lovely sight before as the warthog jumped in and turned a key and her boys jumped into the back with her laid across their legs like she was doing one of her sexy intimate songs on top of a large grand piano. And suddenly they were moving… speeding down a corridor to who knows where. But it didn't matter as long as it was far far away from these agents of hate.
As she felt drops of moisture dripping on her as her poor boys panted sounding so exhausted, she realized maybe they were free at least for now. But what now? They were rumors of possible help… She heard that Honey Badger had resurfaced on the sub-net and had a message that something was coming… hang on… not all hope was lost.
Gazelle hoped this was true but she wished it was from a different source as Honey was not exactly a reliable source. But at this point any possible source of hope was better than the utter despair in which the good citizens of Zootopia found themselves.
She closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle.
A dark room was filled with a glow from the radiance of hundreds of screens and monitors. An entire wall of images from all over Zootopia. Little mammals scurrying around doing meaningless things. Meaningless creatures living meaningless lives.
In front of these monitors in circular black chair sat a form staring at the monitors with glaring eyes and a snarl on its mouth.
A door in the room opened in back and a nervous beaver looked inside.
The chair spun to face the beaver.
"Well!" The voice angrily said.
The beaver responded nervously, "We lost her. They went underground and by the time we got equipment to breach the opening they were long gone."
"No matter. She will be no bother any more. I should have arrested her a long time ago." The voice grumbled.
The beaver explained, "The publicity would have been a nightmare arresting her. Her popularity is still sky high."
"What is the fall out from all this shit she spouted about us?"
The beaver answered, "Too early to tell. Definitely will hurt as she has a lot of followers and sympathizers."
"Can't be helped. Just keep an eye out for any messages. Have you interrogated the two you captured?"
The beaver reported, "Umm well one is still asleep and the other in still in surgery."
"Well get them talking as soon as you can. I want to know who is helping her. Everything was perfect until this shit. Well we still control everything so what can she do? What is the status on the collars?"
The beaver explained, "We have half of them collared and are scheduled to have the rest done by the end of the week."
"Perfect! The stupid predators attacking us was such a perfect excuse to implement our collar plan."
"I thought your orchestrated that." The beaver exclaimed in surprise.
The form smiles malevolently and cackles.
"I have learned from my time away. It gave me so much time to plot and plan. I met so many great minds on my 'vacation'."
"They had no idea their leader was your agent?" The beaver wondered.
"None whatsoever. Nothing will stand in my way this time."
"Anything else?" The beaver stood ready asking for orders.
"Bring that stooge mayor to me when you have a chance."
The beaver responded instantly, "Will do immediately!"
The door closes and the chair swivels back to face the monitors. It watched the little mammals scurry this way and that.
The form straightens the large glasses on her face and grins.
This time will be different.
