Night Wolf0179 A/N: This chapter… oh man, was it difficult to write. Remember when I said we wrote a timeline? Well, we had to add a lot more to it in light of all the stuff we added in this chapter. XD

It's really become a lot more complex than I ever imagined it would be. The original timeline is actually quite straightforward. It served as a simple foundation. But the story is becoming bigger, much more intricate, and I couldn't be more proud of what's to come. We've got some surprises for you guys. After all, we have not even gotten to the main conflict yet! I'm curious to see what you guys think of it.

You know, it's strange, building up a story like this. There is still so much left unsaid. I am so eager to just jump right into it. But recently, I've been forcing myself to change my pacing. XD

I'm quite fond of those slow stories, the ones that take their time with their material. The ones that do not jump into the action, that properly build up the world around them. It makes everything so much more meaningful. I want this story to leave an impact. We're trying to make it thoughtful and thought-provoking. Something that you might remember years down the road.

So yeah, the main conflict is still far down the road. But when it does come around, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Until then, enjoy this chapter! We will also have another chapter for you uploaded within twenty four hours. Yes, we've been busy. XD

And finally, I'd like to thank our two editors, DancingLunarWolves and Stubat007. They found issues I would've never noticed. Thanks, guys!

JKnight97 A/N: Welp! It's been more than a month since we last posted. Now I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting an update. So, I won't be long-winded and bore you by telling tell you how RL has been taking a lot of our time, how I took time off to visit family in New York, surprise a friend who was celebrating his 60th birthday in San Francisco, and how Nightwolf and I have been slaving away into the wee hours of the morning just to churn out this magnum opus. XD

Seriously! If anything, I raise a toast to my young fellow writer who has been using his smartphone Google Docs app to write close to 16,000 words. That is dedication, my friends. XD

Well, we have a surprise for you. But you'll need to go to the notes at the end of the chapter to find it. Also, we lied to you. Or to be technically correct, we told you an untruth. We originally said we had a two-parter. Turns out, it's doubled in size since we last posted. ;)

Thanks again to Stubat007 and DancingLunarWolves, members of our fearless beta-reader team who found the little gremlins that can ruin a great story.

Disclaimer: All characters except OCs (of which we have quite a few) are owned by ©Disney. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental. We do not own Zootopia (sigh). But I own the Blu-Ray!

Part Two

When Zootopia was created, it was built upon the belief that predator and prey could live together in harmony. As it grew and grew, from a community to a city and then an entire country, they held this idea. We now know it to be false, however. Time and time again, preds have shown their true colors. Deep down, they are truly savage. Murder is in their blood. But our country's title, and even our capital's since it shares the same name, does not reflect our knowledge of this. 'Zootopia' implies predators and prey living together in harmony, which was the flawed ideology of its original settlers. The word 'zoo' demonstrates this, it's definition being, 'A gathering of predator and prey'. Well, while both are certainly gathered here, we do not let them inside our homes, our schools, or even our bathrooms. They are separate, away, as they should be.

So let our title embody that! Let our capital and our country be known as something else, something that directly states the superiority of the prey race! Something like… Preytopia!

I am taking suggestions. If you have one, just send a letter addressed to me, President Bellwether, your Head of State.

- Excerpt of President Bellwether's speech, 2016

"Mom! I've missed you!" a little zebra rushed out from his home, launching himself at his mother.

"Whoa, Josh… I've only been at the store!" His mother wrapped her arms around her little boy, feeling him eagerly cuddle into her. It always warmed her heart to see him, especially when his joy was sparked by her.

"Yeah, but guess what?" Letting go of his mother, the colt hopped on the spot with excitement, causing his mother to smile fondly.

"Hmm, I don't know… What's got my little baby so excited?"

"I'm not a baby. I'm a big colt now," six-year old Josh pronounced, puffing out his chest, making his mother knowingly smile. "Anyway, Alexis is coming over! She's bringing her scooter and we're going to go riding! Uncle's coming, too!"

Ruffling her colt's fur, she chuckled. "Hey, Karen," her brother greeted, having appeared in the doorway. "Thought it was about time I got some exercise. It's a good excuse to hang out with my two favorite mammals!"

She nodded her head with a gentle smile. "What a special occasion," she teased. "Well, looks like I'm cooking for five today. Luckily, I still have some grasshoppers leftover from last time."

"I can't help but wonder what they taste like , " Karen's brother mentioned, walking towards the pair.

"Well, you always chicken out when you say you'll try one, Uncle Jeff!"

"He's right, you know," Karen agreed, playfully daring him to try one for once.

"But those legs… Can you imagine them getting stuck in your teeth?" He grimaced, almost shuddering at the memory of having almost tried the well-known predator food. The best he had been able to achieve was a tentative touch with a hoof.

"Wimp." Josh playfully teased. Hearing the tinny rumble of a scooter rolling along concrete, he turned around and saw his best friend gleefully speeding down the sidewalk. They waved to each other as they grinned, excitement building within them both. "There she is! Hey, Alexis!"

"Josh!" greeted the lioness cub, now crossing the street towards her friend.

As the colt and cub waved at each other, Karen was motioned by her brother. "What's up?" she questioned, moving nearer to him. Noticing how his demeanor changed as she got closer, she could tell exactly what he was going to bring up.

"Where's your husband?"

"Oh. He's out with his… army buddies. "

"Where? In some bar?" Growing slightly angry, he muttered, "Of course, where else would he be?"

"Don't be like that, Jeff. Please. You know he's going through a lot."

"Sis, he's a speciesist asshole. You know how is he around Josh's friend over there." His eyes flicking to his nephew, his angry gaze melted as he took in the smile upon Josh's muzzle. "Why do you defend him?"

"You wouldn't understand, Jeff." She took a step back from him. "I love him, and he loves me. And how many times are we going to have this discussion?"

Ignoring her question, he pushed on. " Pfft , 'love'. You were so different until he came along."

"What do you mean?"

"You were much more… excited. Outgoing. Happier about... everything."

"Excited? My husband is going through a rough patch in his life. Excuse me for worrying. And so what if he drinks a little?"

"He's always drinking, Karen." He stomped angrily after her. "What will it take for you to see who he is? I don't want to come by one day to see you bloody and bruised thanks to that brute." Karen unconsciously rubbed her hoof over several bruises on her arms that were hidden by her long-sleeved shirt. Not noticing the movement, Jeff continued, "You've never even given me the chance to get to know the guy." His voice grew softer. "You talk about him like he's an amazing fellow. I've never been with him for more than an hour."

"You know how busy we've been. Moving to this house wasn't easy."

"That was three months ago!"

Wincing, she nodded. "Yes, but the bills are stacking high. We both are working our-"

"No, you're working. He isn't."

"Who else will watch after Josh while I'm away?"

"Karen!" Jeff snorted angrily. "You're working three different jobs just to pay for everything! Why can't he take at least one? This is your first day off in three weeks! C'mon, sis, snap out of it! Your family misses you. I miss you."

Getting fed up with her brother, Karen barely kept her voice below a yell. "Every time you visit, you bring this up, and frankly, I'm getting sick of it. Leave. Just leave and don't come back until you've given up on trying to control me."

"Seriously? I'm not the one who's trying to control you. When was the last time you spoke to mom and dad? Or for that matter, have you even had the chance to go out on your own with your friends?"

"I...I don't have any." she whispered, melancholy embedded in her voice.

Frowning, Jeff asked, "What about Sylvia? Doreen? Your other classmates from college? Before you met him, you were always going out with them. I should know. I had to bail you out of jail several times." he pleadingly teased.

"Those...were when I was foolish and irresponsible. I'm grown-up now and I have responsibilities. I have a husband and a child to take care of. And if he can't work, then I have to step up to the plate."

"Has he even made an effort to look for a job? All he does is spend your hard-earned money on booze."

"It's not like that, Jeff. Besides, I'm too busy working to have fun." she regrettably said.

"But he's cut you off from us and your friends. Listen, sis, I care about you and Josh. I don't like having to sneak around behind his back like we're criminals." Fixing his eye on her, he asked, "Have you spoken to anyone about your situation?"

Whirling on him, eyes wide-eyed with fear, she grabbed his collar. "You can't tell anyone! He'll get upset! He'll…"

"He'll what, Karen? Is he going to hurt you? Has he hurt you in the past?" Jeff asked, growing angrier by the question. "I swear, if he's laid a hoof on you-"

"He gets a little boisterous when he's had too much. He really doesn't mean anything by it. He doesn't know his own strength. Besides, if I say anything, he threatened to take Josh away and I'd never see the both of them again."

"Sis," he fretted, grabbing her hoof, "that's not love."

Her breath quivering, she turned behind her to check on the kits while she pulled her arm away. "Don't touch me! If you report this, I'll deny everything. I do not want to see you near... " she trailed off, having noticed they were in the street. "Alexis, Josh, get out of the road!" She broke off from her argument and began to walk towards them. She thought they'd know better by now.

The second time she called, they heard her, but when Alexis began to walk back onto the sidewalk, she tripped over her own shoe laces, tumbling onto the ground. "Oh, honey," Karen soothed. She didn't look hurt, just surprised. "C'mon, Alexis, before-"

Just then, a red sports car sharply turned onto their street, its engine roaring as its driver slammed down on the accelerator. "Alexis!" Karen panicked, sprinting to the lion cub on the ground.

Josh watched with wide, frantic eyes as his mother barreled towards his friend. About to take off himself, his uncle grabbed him before he made a move, just in time to see his mother shove his best friend out of harm's way, only to put herself in the same position.

"Mooooooooooom!"

He'd later find out that it was an illegal street race, the driver a drunk gazelle. He'd carry that knowledge with him as he attended his mother's funeral, as Alexis tried to console him until he couldn't take anymore, until he broke and gave her a physical taste of the pain his heart was suffering through. She never bothered him again after that, the pain in her jaw snaking its way to her heart.

Alexis' parents came by the house a month after the funeral. They knew he was hurting, and while what he did was still unacceptable, they had to do something. Their daughter was such good friends with the colt.

They were surprised when the door was opened by Josh himself. "Son," Alexis' father whispered as they knelt before him. "Can we talk?" He never responded, so the lion continued on. "We're sorry for your loss. Your mom saved Alexis. It's a debt we can't repay. Is there anything we can do for you?"

"Yes!" he gasped, fury and hate evident in his eyes. "You can bring my mom back!" The colt took pleasure in how the lights on their Tame Collars changed colors from green to yellow. He wanted to see what would happen if they turned red.

"Oh, Josh," the lioness said consolingly, "we all would love that. But we can't."

"Then, you can leave me alone! It's because of you pelts that my mom died."

His father told him why it happened. Whose fault it was. Just like every other evil and cruel thing in the world, it was caused by predators, by savage fleabags. Josh would listen to the drunken tirades of his father, who blamed his lot in life to 'those lousy, sneaky, flea-infested pelts who think they're better than me with their college degrees, taking all the cushy jobs while an honest mammal like me can't even get a job pushing a broom'. He knew what happened, why it happened.

"Your stupid, weak, pathetic daughter should have been the one to die, not her," declared the little colt, proudly repeating his father's words against the very mammals who had dealt him a cruel hand.

Alexis' parents knew this could happen. They had heard the rumors of the abusive zebra somewhere in that house. How he hurt his wife everyday, how he harbored such terrible thoughts of all predators. With no one to teach him otherwise, the colt before them was now a lost cause. A corrupted soul.

Shaking their heads in sorrow, the two lions left Josh to himself, to his father. Never again would they drive down that neighbourhood road.

Josh slowly became an outcast in the community, even among his own relatives. He never spoke again to his uncle whom he was once very close to. He considered him just as weak and pathetic as those predators. When he had tried to convince Josh it was not the fault of Alexis but the drunk prey driver, he knew his father was right. His uncle was a pred-lover. A traitor to all prey. So, when he tried to gain custody of him, he recited before the judge every single word his father had him memorize, further proving just how stupid and idiotic his uncle was. Josh felt enlightened in the end.

The days following his mother's death, Josh's father drank much more heavily, seemingly replacing his blood with liquor. He ended up quitting his job after receiving the sizeable settlement from the drunk prey driver's insurance company. Josh learnt to fend for himself as the old stallion, more often than not, ended up passed out on the couch. The irony of it, though, was not lost on him: he ended up losing both parents to alcohol.

He learned not to make too much noise when he took money from his father's wallet or too much that he would notice. When he did get caught, his father would beat him. After some time, the beatings no longer bothered him. What did were the hateful rants that only a bitter adult could express while in an alcohol fueled rage. Words like, 'you should have been the one', 'I wish you were dead', or the most hurtful, 'you should never have been born' were the most common to be spit out of his father's raging maw.

Josh never blamed his dad. In his mind, it should have been the predator cub that died that fateful day and not his mom. She should not have had to sacrifice herself to save a worthless pile of flea-infested pelt. He reasoned that his father would then have been happy; he would not have had to suffer his beatings, and all would be well with his life. He was sure if his mom were still alive, she would have intervened and not allow him to lay a hoof on her son. It never occurred to him to question why his father would drag his mother into the bedroom when she did or why she would always wear long sleeved shirts, even in the middle of summer or walk with a slight limp after his father would come home late from a drinking night out with the boys. He never asked her why he would hear her crying late at night when they thought he was asleep. The one time he did, she told him his father had it rough growing up and they needed to be patient with him. That deep down inside, he was a good mammal.

She had made Josh promise that he would continue his education no matter what. She didn't want him following in the footsteps of his father who had not even finished grade school. She believed her husband was capable of more; he was intelligent, but life took him down a different path, one that she had hoped she could save him from when she had married him.

As time passed, Josh withdrew more and more into himself, not caring to become involved with others. Not many of his schoolmates believed in his hateful views against predators and they had begun to shun him out of embarrassment. He became a loner and would have stopped going to school altogether if not for the fact his father would beat him if they reported him skipping classes. He vowed to show them all that he was correct. That predators couldn't be trusted and had to be eradicated. On the eve of the 2005 election, when Woodson died at the paws of his otter speech writer who had gone savage, he gleefully danced a jig as he watched the replays over and over again.

As he grew older, the anti-pred slogan, "Prey Not Preds", called to him. The month after Bellwether's administration imposed the new Slave Collars for all predators exactly a year after Woodson's untimely death, he happened to turn eighteen and immediately enlisted in the newly formed Predator Patrol, Bellwether's personal right-hand organization she created the same day she fully enforced predator slavery. It was the best day of Josh's life. There, he was finally amongst those who thought like him—although, the general population was beginning to see the light as well.

His fanaticism quickly made him the darling of his commanders, pushing him into higher and higher ranks so that in ten years, he was the youngest Lieutenant in the Predator Patrol. However, as was the case of most meteoric rises, the good times didn't last long. His cruel streak, previously envied and admired, began to bring embarrassment to his superiors. He rarely learned his lesson. Despite repeat offenses, it was a miracle that he still remained in the PP.

The final straw for High Command was when he had a run-in with a slave belonging to Mayor Bellwether's office.

He had been recently demoted to Sergeant because of his excessive use of force against an escapee predator and his prey fiancée. Interspecies trash! he thought, spitting vehemently on the sidewalk. He had spent the previous evening on a bender and was nursing a hangover after drinking his anger and frustration away. He was in a piss-poor mood. So, when the vixen emerged from the limousine she was driving and blocked his way as she helped an elderly nanny goat out, he made damn sure she would know her place in this world.

He grabbed the vixen by the shoulder, spun her around and hit her across the muzzle with the back of his hoof, causing her to fly onto the hood of the limo. Blood leaked from her nose as she stared wide-eyed in fear at him with her collar rapidly blinking. Josh loved it when they got that look in their eye. The knowledge that he held their fate in his hooves. That they were powerless to stop him. He loved it so much that he craved it, like a crackhead seeking that next fix. And sometimes, it took more to satisfy that particular itch.

"You there! Who do you think you are? Stop that, this instant!" bleated the goat as she swung her cane at his head. Josh was surprised. Another pred-lover, corrupting the gene-pool? The anger in him boiled over as he easily swatted the cane out of her hand and reached out to shove her onto the sidewalk. His hoof never made contact as the vixen bodily checked him against a mailbox.

Head spinning from both the blow and his throbbing headache, he lay on the sidewalk as the white fox limped painfully over to the elderly goat. "Are you alright, Madame Secretary?" she asked, ignoring the pain as the beeping of her collar indicated the light had shifted over to yellow. Noticing this, she began to go through a routine she always used to calm down. After years of wearing the thing, she had learned how to control her emotions.

"I'm fine, my dear," she nodded, "Never laid a hoof on me, thanks to you. But, oh! You're the one that's hurt. How's are you feeling?"

"A bit out of sorts, to tell you the truth. I think I dislocated my hip when I pushed him away. Please don't worry about me. I'll-"

She never finished her sentence as she screamed out in pain when Josh's right hind hoof connected with her good leg, shattering the bone. She crumpled onto the sidewalk, helplessly clutching her hind leg as the zebra circled her like a hawk. Her collar began to beep louder as her heart rate spiked due to the pain.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, n-" she whimpered, frantically trying to level out her breathing as she curled into a ball with her head pressed into the asphalt. Horrified as the beeping only continued, she reached out for Rose's hoof, calling for her help. The zebra stood between them, sneering as her cry was choked by electricity coursing painfully through her already damaged body, causing her muscles to seize up involuntarily. The pain and the panic did nothing to lower her heart rate which further shot up and was caught in a cruel vicious circle which would only end if she mercifully blacked out.

"Not so uppity are ya, now, pelt?" spitting blood at her from the cut on his lip. This was the first time anypredator had ever dared to attack him. She needed to know her place as a lowly predator, ruled by prey . Seeing her panicked expression, Josh felt better despite the urge to throw up his non-existent breakfast.

Retrieving her cane, the old nanny quickly dialed her office. "Henrietta? Call Bellwether and the Mammal Patrol, at once! I was attacked by a crazed zebra and poor Carla tried to defend me. She's getting shocked because of the damn collar! It's going to kill her! Get someone to turn it off, this instant! I left my remote in the office. Hurry, please! I don't think she's going to last long. Track us by the limo's GPS coordinates."

Ending her call, she turned on Josh and began whacking him over the head with her cane, splintering the wood. With each firm whack of the cane, Josh saw more and more stars as his head swam.

"You brute! You bastard! Attacking innocent mammals on the street! I'll have your neck in a collar! Get away from her, you fiend!"

Josh faltered from her attack. He had not expected the old geezer to retaliate. He tried to evade her swings but she was too quick. That, and he was still hungover from last night.

Suddenly, a Mammal Patrol jeep pulled up to the curb. Two burly tamaraws rushed out and took immediate stock of the scene before them: a white fox on the ground with blood on her muzzle being shocked by her collar; an elderly female goat wielding a cane was pummeling a zebra wearing the PP uniform. Never having come across such a sight before, they came to an unfortunate conclusion. Pulling out his radio, the older of the two bovines with the rank of Major called it in.

"Murphy, get a BUS stat at our location. We're on Haymarket Street near the Oasis Loop. Got a confirmed pred gone savage currently being shocked by her collar; two preys, possibly in shock." Returning the mike to his shoulder holster, he withdrew a taser and approached the spasming vixen. "Bill, separate those two. We need to check on who got bitten. I'll keep an eye on the savage fox."

"Why do you always get the easy tasks?" grumbled the second water buffalo as he slowly approached the pair of fighting mammals.

"Rank has its privileges," smirked the Major. However, as he neared the fallen fox, he started to become nervous. He had never come across a savage predator before and his training only covered the basics. It had never been established whether if bitten, the victim would also experience the same symptoms. But then they had never been able to explain the 'Mad Cow' epidemic back in the eighties. At least that was a disease, not something rooted to their biology.

A sudden jerk by the fox startled him, causing him to discharge his weapon into her exposed midriff. Fifty thousand more volts slammed into her already weakened body, causing her heart to palpitate even faster and her diaphragm to seize. The panicked bovine squeezed the trigger pad far longer than what was recommended by their training officer. "Better her than me," he quietly muttered.

As the younger buffalo picked the zebra off the ground after finally getting the elderly goat to back off, Rose Ramsworth heard the taser gun being discharged. She was horrified to see her assistant being subjected to more torture by the very mammals she had called for protection. She rushed over to quickly whack the wrist of the Major, causing him to drop his taser, mercifully stopping the angry pulses of current.

"Are you out of your mind? What in the blasted stars are you doing, you bumbling idiot!" she screeched as she attempted to approach the downed vixen only to be held back by the buffalo.

"Protecting you from a savage predator, Madame Secretary," grumbled the Major, rubbing the spot where her cane had connected. "And 'Thank you' is usually the normal response."

"For what? Hurting an innocent child?" she growled as she tried to go around the bull. "And where's your remote control? I need to shut off that damn collar!"

"Madame Secretary, I can't let you get near her. She's a savage animal," he answered as he interposed his body between her and the fox as she frantically tried to poke her way through. "I did what I had to do."

"'Had to'? Well, I'll have your hide on my wall if you don't let me through to my baby! What's wrong with you! What made you think she went savage!"

"The blood on her muzzle. It's obvious she's bitten someone and since I can't see any bite marks on you, then I surmise it's that poor zebra you were attacking."

" That poor zebra is the very reason she's injured. That's her blood on her muzzle when he hit her for no reason. When he tried to attack me, she stopped him and injured herself in the process. He attacked her from behind like the coward he is and now her collar won't stop shocking her. Now, where is your damned remote! " she angrily demanded, ready to continue whacking him with increasing ferocity.

"I-I don't have one, Ma'am. They don't issue them to the Mammal Patrol."

More panic settled in her stomach at this news and she readied to headbutt the water buffalo down the street in rage. Just as she began to step closer, an ambulance arrived and two elk medics jumped out, giving the buffalo a chance to relax as she turned her attention towards the medics.

"Quick!" she waved them over to the white fox who was still experiencing electric shocks, "We need to get the collar off now." Swiftly obeying, the medics activated the collar release on the universal remote issued to all first responders. Once she was satisfied Carla was being tended to, she furiously turned on the Major. He grimaced, preparing himself to speak to her again. He couldn't understand it. It was like the fox's life was tremendously important to her; important enough to make her go damn near crazy.

Pointing to Josh, she ground her teeth in anger at the sight of him. "I want to press charges! That oaf attacked us without provocation."

"Madame Secretary, I-"

"What's going on here?" demanded an elderly bull elephant. He stepped out of another limousine, this time bearing the flag of the Predator Patrol. He took one look at the scene before him and immediately felt a fire burn in his body. Josh, barely conscious, felt his heart sink at the sight of the pachyderm.

"Colonel Hathi, sir!" saluted both bovines as the bull approached them. "We were responding to a disturbance called in by President Bellwether's office, sir. We came upon this Sergeant being attacked by Madame Secretary Ramsworth. She alleges that the Sergeant attacked them first."

"That's a lie!" sputtered Josh, "I was just minding my own business-"

"Shut it, Haughton!" barked the Colonel. "I wasn't speaking to you. Now, then," returning his attention to the two members of the MP, he inquired, "What of the fox?"

Shrugging, the Major answered indifferently. "She was already down and being shocked by her collar. However, I discharged my weapon when I felt she was a possible threat. We assumed she attacked Madame Ramsey and the Sergeant because of the blood on her muzzle."

Rose looked away from where the medics were tending to her personal assistant when she heard the buffalo's report and angrily marched up on her wobbly cane, glaring at the zebra. "He's the one I reported who attacked me and Carla, my poor, sweet vixen," shoving the end of her cane forcefully into Josh's face. "She was defending me from him when he attacked her from behind. "You coward! You piece of filth!" She directed her verbal abuse at the besotted zebra, spittle furiously flying from her mouth, some of it landing in his eye.

"Are you sure?" questioned the Major. "I mean, why would she do such a thing? He's four times her size. And a fox to boot. They're a sneaky bunch, that species is."

"Are you questioning my credibility, Major?" she whirled on the buffalo, brandishing her splintered cane like a sword, jabbing him with the end, an unquenchable fire in her eyes. "Are you calling the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology and President Bellwether's second-in-command a liar?"

"No, ma'am!" the buffalo nervously raised a hoof, sweat beginning to form on his brow as her cane nearly whacked him again. "I'm just saying I've never heard of a predator doing anything out of the goodness of their heart, much less a fox."

Trembling with anger, she yelled, "I'll have you know, Major, my Carla is the sweetest little vixen around!" eyes blacker than coal angrily boring into the thick skull of the bovine officer. "Why, she wouldn't even hurt a fly! She-"

"Madame Secretary!" called one of the medics. "She's asking for you!"

Rose hurried as quickly as she could to the stricken vixen's side inside the ambulance. "Carla, can you hear me?" she whispered worriedly.

With a small nod, the injured vixen acknowledged her charge. She tried to speak but all that came out was a whisper. The old goat bent over so her ear was near the vixen's muzzle, much to the shock of all the prey - excluding Hathi - as they caught sight of the fox's sharp teeth so close to the goat's ear.

"Madame Secretary, I don't think that's a good-" began the Major.

"Shut it, you imbecile!" she bleated. "Be glad that I don't have you skinned alive and boiled in oil for shooting an unarmed mammal! If I want your thick-headed, bumbling opinion, I'll ask for it. Now, quiet all of you!" commanded the nanny goat. "Carla," she whispered, bending closer, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm…'kay," she wheezed, feeling millions of needles piercing her heart, tiny pinpricks painfully crawling over her fur as the world angrily buzzed around her. "You...hurt?"

"No, my dear," sobbed the female goat as she cradled the vixen's paw in one hoof. She noticed how listless the vixen's paw was, how frail it felt as it shook every few seconds. "You're such a fool. You're the one injured and yet you're asking if I'm hurt. You're such a brave mammal, my child, protecting me from that idiot." She reached a hoof out to caress the vixen's head as she rubbed her own cheek on the paw she was holding. "Now, no more talk. I'm going to make sure you get better."

"...sorry…Momma..." she was able to gasp out before her head eased to the side, the light in her eyes dimming as she stared into a distant void, the vibrant blue being sapped from within.

Eyes widening so much that it pained her, she frantically tried to shake the vixen awake as her tears dripped from her cheeks and into the fabric of Carla's dress. "Medics! Someone! Help me! Pleeeeease!" she whined, her voice twisting with anguish.

The medics yanked her out of the vehicle as they moved to defibrillate the fox. With each charge of the device, the goat's own heart stopped as she waited for Carla's to start. "Carla! Baby girl! Sweetie! Carla-a-a-aaa!" she sobbed as she fell to the concrete, her thoughts a mess of misery. She needed her fox; she was her life, and she had such a strong heart, such a caring one. It couldn't just give up now, not like this, not in electric pain.

Never again would she see those bright eyes. Never again would she fall asleep with knowledge her Carla was safely tucked in her bed in the next room. Never again would she feel her girl's heartbeat through each hug she received. With every officers' eyes on her, she wept, mourning the loss of a large piece of her soul.

It seemed no one cared. Not even the medics. They had one less predator to worry about; one less set of deadly fangs. While the medics were obligated to save predators purely because of their value as slaves, being the cheapest workforce around, it appeared they still preferred a dead predator over a living one, no matter how important they were to production.

Once the medics had pronounced Carla dead and allowed Rose back into the ambulance, she cradled the deceased vixen's head to her chest as tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry, too." she whispered. "You deserved better than this," she sobbed, recalling all of the love and affection the little vixen had freely given out. Carla had looked to her as if Rose was her personal guardian angel, a gift to forever cherish. All the hugs, the expressions of love, the gifts and the thank you's; it all came rushing back as she stared into the vacant eyes of the once vibrant Carla.

Even though the medics were disgusted over the goat's behavior, they fearfully withdrew a distance as Rose rocked Carla's body, softly crooning the vixen's favorite lullaby, the one that would always help her sleep, no matter how difficult the day had gone. Passing a hoof over her eyelids, Rose let her little girl sleep one last time.

Turning from the heart-wrenching scene, Colonel Hathi discreetly wiped a tear from his eye. He gruffly informed the buffalo, "I'm sorry, Major. He's a member of the Predator Patrol. As such, you will bring him to our headquarters where I will be responsible for disciplining him."

He hated checkpoint duty.

Predators, while dumb, were not dumb enough to get themselves caught at a Predator Patrol security checkpoint. Such things were easily avoided. While it was much quicker to go through a checkpoint, they would be immediately caught. And thus, Josh was bored; tired, bored, and annoyed.

The most fun he had had in weeks was when he shot that hyena pelt. It was invigorating, and it satisfied his need for adventure for a couple days. Things like that only ever happened while he was out patrolling. It was why that was his favorite part of the job. Plus, he got the chance to see the beautiful countryside. It was an addictive sense of freedom.

But here he was, doing the exact opposite of patrolling. Checkpoint duty . He deserved to be out in the field, busting miserable preds, making the world a better place, not harassing every single vehicle that drove through. It was as fruitless as it was boring. At least he was on break.

The metal chair was his best friend for thirty minutes, and he intended to use the time as well as possible: by playing a game on his phone. It was a simple game - he could never wrap his head around the complex ones - about running away from a savage predator. The track his character ran on was randomly generated; the same was true of the obstacles, and he took great joy in never really playing the same game twice (though, it did look very similar each time). Already, he had twelve out of the fifteen possible skins for the savage that chased him throughout the game. Clicking away on his phone, ducking over a fallen powerline and hopping over a crack in the street, a cloud of dense smoke and the silhouette of a bear chased him as he edged ever closer to his high score. That skin was his newest unlock, and it took him twelve hours of grinding to purchase.

He was above spending actual money on those evil microtransactions. And he was so, so close to the next unlock: a savage tiger with a hideously-bloody maw dripping with foaming saliva. He'd get it soon, he just had to get another thousand coins.

"Josh, what are you doing?"

Shaking his head to regain his sense of place, Josh tried to refocus his eyes on the tiny mammal in front of him. "V-Veronica? That you, girl?"

The pudu's eyes narrowed viciously as she marched towards him. "Don't talk to me like that if you think your fur does not need to be rearranged, fleabag. Your break ended ten minutes ago. Get your lazy ass out there before I throw you out. And it's Captain to you, Corporal!"

Despite her diminutive stature, Josh did not want to get on her bad side as he was keenly aware that she had put several larger mammals into the hospital who had underestimated her. Begrudgingly, Josh stood up and made his way outside, heading to his position inside a security booth.

Passing by another Predator Patrol officer, he asked, "Any news on the foxes?"

Already irritated, the officer barely even said no before going back to the laptop on his lap. He wanted to catch those foxes too, but with that zebra constantly pestering him about it, he would've almost preferred to see him inside the PP Lockup.

Shrugging innocently, Josh marched onwards, stepping by more of his fellow officers. None of them took notice of him, though, remaining nose-deep in whatever it was they were doing.

Entering the checkpoint, he settled down at his desk and logged into the computer. It's going to be a long day.

A/N: We have heard from many of our readers how much they love to hate Josh. Well, I'm sure we're going to get more 'hate' mail about him soon. XD

But not to fret! We heard you and this is our offer to our loyal readers. Write to us in the comments or reviews how you'd like to see your favourite villain punished. The ones we like best, we'll build them into new chapters. We're also open to suggestions or ideas that you'd like to see.

P.S. I didn't forget my promise about fluff. ;) We had so many good ideas that we were able to write the next chapter and we are posting it simultaneously! So, read on!