NightWolf0179: Welcome back, everyone! Our apologies for taking so long to finish this, but my co-author and I went through some speed-bumps, many of them personal. You guys can also blame school, for the most part. AP Literature sucks. I've done… eight essays now? But rest assured, this story will not be left unfinished. We will see it through to the end! XD
But we've finally finished this chapter. It is rather dark, and we may continue that theme for a while longer (so, fair warning), but I think you'd like what'll come in the later chapters. #WildeHopps shippers, don't turn away just yet!
Unfortunately, updates may remain a bit...sporadic. Holidays are coming up and they will keep me rather busy. Plus, I have college next year. So, that may also keep things a bit slow.
However, I will be working harder to bring these out more quickly. I am so eager to continue writing and to see what you all think of it! So… no promises, but it shouldn't take quite as long next time. Then again, both Jknight97 and I are perfectionists. XD
In fact…here is some motivation. From here on out, I will (and maybe J as well) respond to as many reviews as I can in later chapters. You'll get to be mentioned! XD
That brings me to my next topic… Both J and I want to see your responses! So please, post any criticism you want to give us. We love seeing it and it helps the story! It's also great motivation! [yeah, what he said - JKnight97 XD]
And thanks to dancinglunarwolves for his help in bringing this out. I greatly appreciate it, man!
Alright, I've taken up enough of you guys' time. We hope you enjoy!
JKnight97: First of all, my apologies to our readers and to my co-author, NightWolf0179. RL has been keeping me very busy along with other personal issues. It took us more than a month to finalize this chapter and it continues on its rather dark theme...for now. Rest assured, both of us are avid #wildehopps shippers and their time will come. For now, the mature rating stays on for very obvious reasons into the story.
Also, fair warning to those who are following this story: updates will be sporadic with the holidays coming up and we both plan to spend a lot of time with our respective families. I can assure you that this is not going to be dumped by the wayside in the middle of the story. He and I are both perfectionists (which is why it took so long) but we're very pleased with how this chapter came out.
Many thanks again to dancinglunarwolves for his help with editing the story as well.
Disclaimer: All characters except OCs are owned by ©Disney. Any resemblance to actual persons or mammals, living or dead, is purely coincidental. We do not own Zootopia. Do we want to? ...Perhaps… XD
Two beams of light pierced through a land of trees and brush, creating shafts of darkness that hid in-between the blinding cones. Insects swarmed the sources of the rays, fighting to engulf themselves in its presence as it rushed past. A roaring growl shook the earth as a large contraption of metal and fuel crushed the ground underneath, smashing and cracking stones as its large wheels flung the rocks backwards while also propelling the metal beast forwards, running away from capture.
Behind it lay a scorched memory.
"Fuck."
The mammal in the driver seat chanced a quick glance towards his friend, raising an eyebrow. "Is everyth-"
"Fuck!" the low voice came again, interrupting the other.
"Hmmm? Fin? What is it?" He was now getting worried.
A tiny body inside the metal machine suddenly shot up, pumping a fist into the air, hitting the metal above and leaving a sizable dent. "Whooo!"
Nick could only stare in disbelief. He'd never seen this kind of behavior in his friend before.
"Nick, we… we're free! Those bastards, the-they're-we're out! They can't catch us, we-" Finnick chanced a quick glance back at his friend only to see the biggest grin he'd ever seen on that fox's muzzle. "Oi! You better shut your trap!"
It was too much. Nick suddenly burst out laughing, barely keeping control of the truck. "Finnick, is that you? You've - ha! - you've never acted li-like that before!" He planted his face into the steering wheel as another fit of giggles escaped him. In doing so, the vehicle lurched to the side and nearly slammed into a tree. "Shit!" Nick sputtered out as he got the vehicle back in control. "Okay! Shouldn't do that. Noted."
Finnick, who was now breathing heavily, stared daggers into the fox in the driver's seat. Not even ten seconds later, a small chuckle had his muzzle smiling. Soon enough, you could not even hear the truck's engine as the two foxes in the cabin went hysterical with laughter.
It was Nick who spoke after the laughter died down. "We're free."
"Hell yeah, we are."
"Victory fist bump?" The taller fox asked.
"…Just one," he relented and fist bumped his comrade.
"I can't believe it. We actually did it. We're not dead."
"I just hope it'll stay that way. Eyes on the road, Nick, at all times."
"Okay, dad. Gotta admit, I'm doing well even despite my lack of lessons."
"You're driving an automatic. Give you a car with a gear shift and clutch, you'd get nowhere."
"Pft, it's not like you've driven anything before. C'mon, give me this one victory."
"You didn't even read the driving manual I swiped for you!"
"Actually, I did. I read half of it before I was nearly caught with the damn thing, remember? How was I supposed to know a new guard was coming around the corner? If I would've stayed a second longer, he would've seen my face and I'd be dead. We're lucky he only saw a silhouette."
"Could've kept the manual on you."
"And risk getting our beds searched? No, leaving it there for him to find was the best option. And anyway, I did get to the part where it explained how to drive a manual."
"And the part that says to never let your dumb eyes leave the road?"
Nick playfully thumped Finnick on the shoulder. "Yes, I'm sorry. Though, I haven't gotten us killed so far. Give me that, at least?"
"Hmph… fine." he groaned in an exaggerated manner. "I'm driving next."
"Sure you can reach the pedals? Most rabbits are taller than you, bud."
"Nick, I swear to God, now you're pushing it."
Chuckling, Nick relented. "Alright, alright. You can drive next." Looking at the passing turns, he felt a surge of what can only be described as freedom. He—they—could now go wherever they wanted. The world was theirs to explore. "Where to, Fin?"
Finnick reached into the space behind his seat and pulled out their old collars and a map. While unfolding it, he looked at a passing street sign and found that they were on a country road called Wispy Pass. On the map, he pinpointed where they were. "Take that left and pull over."
"You are properly following the directions on that map, right? And the indirect route?"
Finnick grunted in response, "Of course I am. Didcha think I'm dumber than you?"
It was enough for Nick, so he did what was asked of him. With his nightvision, he found a small clearing over to his left and drove into it. The clearing itself was rather well hidden. Only a small path indicated its presence, the immense number of trees blocking the site itself made it rather difficult to spot.
"Why are we stopping? We're still too close to the Robinsons."
"Got some stuff to take care of. Shut the engine off."
"What's this about?" Nick asked as the engine sputtered to sleep. It was now pitch black inside the truck's cabin, save for the light coming from the dim display of a tablet that served to track the truck's position.
"Well… we need to destroy this truck's GPS," he pointed to the unit, "and… I need to do something."
Alright," Nick grunted as he opened the door. "But we got to get back on the road soon."
"Yeah, yeah, mom."
While Finnick worked at tearing out the navigational instrument from the dashboard, Nick stepped out and stretched his muscles. The moon was out, he noticed, but only half of it. He remembered learning about the cycles of the moon when he was just a little kit, but it was so long ago that he could not remember a single detail. With his life being reduced to slavery for so long, those little tidbits of information drifted out of his memory. It was more important to learn things that would aid in an escape attempt and that would aid in setting up their future in a new home. The moon was amongst the least of their worries.
Once the little fox finished his task, he made his way around the truck with the GPS unit and the collars in paw, much to Nick's surprise. "Why would he bring the collars?" he thought.
"See that boulder?" Finnick pointed. "We need to get rid of these things using that."
"Alright." Nick began stepping towards the boulder, slightly ahead of Finnick.
"You know, I've been wondering…what are we going to do after all this is over? Once we get out of Zootopia?"
Nick scratched his muzzle, giving the question some thought. There was not an easy answer to that. In the camp, they had very little resources to research the lands outside of Zootopia with. The only way to do so was to swipe a smartphone from a dozing guard or a forgetful kit and hope that the phone was not password protected. The few times it wasn't, they had found out that the internet of Zootopia was plagued with internet blocks and propaganda to a nauseating degree. There was no information on their internet about the laws of any other country outside of their own. It baffled the foxes. How was anyone okay with this? It was obvious that certain information was being kept from Zootopia's citizens. The foxes could not be the only ones to think that, right?
The only bit of information they were able to find was the route they needed to take to get from place to place. Everything else was useless.
Thankfully, a couple months back, some rabbits came back from a trip that led them to Deerbrooke. While they described their journey, Nick hid behind a wall and found out that predators did not wear collars back in that country. They could also walk freely and own property.
Apparently, that left the traveling rabbits terrified for most of the trip.
"My money's still on Deerbrooke. We head there and make a living."
"How will we? I'm good with putting crap together, but no one will let me work on any of their stuff; I ain't got certifications."
"There's always a way."
Once they reached the boulder, Finnick placed the items onto it and grabbed a smaller rock that seemed almost as big as him. "You'd think they'd have a hammer in that truck," he grunted.
Nick only shrugged and watched as his companion repeatedly slammed the stone down onto the tablet and collar until they no longer resembled the objects that they were. He then picked up as many remnants of them as he could-while also being mindful of the swelling batteries-and threw them as far as they could go. "Here," he quietly said, handing him the stone.
The taller fox took it and kneeled down, looking closely at the collar that had held an iron grip over his throat for years. Until now, he had never been able to closely look at the prongs on the collar. There were at least sixteen of them, and a few even had a few strands of crimson fur burnt onto them.
The light on his collar was now a pulsing red, growing dull until it surged back to full vibrancy.
Nick first aimed for the light, swiftly bringing the stone down until the tiny blip of red was snuffed out, blinking its last. He then turned his focus to the prongs, slamming his weapon onto each one until they were all wildly bent, sending a few sparks scattering into the grass below. Finally, with all his strength, he brought the stone down onto the location on the collar that he knew held the motherboard, denting the metal until he was sure that it was destroyed.
The task finished, he took the corpse of the tool that had caused him so much pain and threw it directly at the moon, making it land somewhere in the distance for the ground to reclaim.
"Yo, Nick?" The fennec's voice shook him out of his daze. "You okay?"
"Why shouldn't I be?" asked the taller fox.
"You're panting," the fennec said, pointing to his own muzzle, "and you have a wild look in your eyes."
With a barely perceptible nod, Nick attempted to get his breathing back to normal. The two stood in silence for a bit, feeling the gentle breeze ruffle their fur.
"Can you remember what it felt like to not have a collar on?"
The smaller of the two crawled onto the boulder and laid down with his eyes closed. "Don't matter," he breathed out, "I'm feeling it now."
"Just… I'm trying to remember that time. That life." Nick sat next to Finnick, breathing in the chill in the air and the dampness of the world around him. The moisture began to cling to his fur, gathering in small droplets here and there with the moon reflecting within them. "I cherish that time, but I can't remember it."
Finnick rose up and placed his paw on Nick's shoulder. With a somber look, he said, "Keep trying to remember. It'll come to you." He sighed. "Time to go."
It was impossible for either of them to get any sleep that night. With the GPS tracking the truck, they needed to put as much distance between them and the Robinsons as possible. Its location would most certainly be made known to the local authorities once their former owners discovered a company truck was missing. Their electronic trail would be as evident as pawprints on freshly fallen snow due to the on-board GPS before they had disposed of it. Even if that was not a concern, they were still riding a high from the escape that would've made any attempt at sleeping completely futile.
As such, the two were still bubbling with energy as the sun started its morning ascent in the east. Claws tapped on windows, songs were sung in horribly off-tune voices, games of mind-numbing I-Spy were played, and plans were discussed.
It became too much for Nick to bear. After a little fumbling with the radio-he had never used one before-he was able to get it onto a station. Unfortunately for them, no music played from it; he had found a morning talk show.
"-lcome back to the early riser edition of Radio Prey, the best place to get a news refresher in your morning hours before our tunes begin!" The groans that came from the foxes were loud and long. "First off, the Capital has expressed an interest in expanding the Climate Walls into the countryside, even all the way into our Harrisonburg. Remember the day when temperatures reached into the high forties? Pretty dreadful, right?
"Well, if we allow them to use our predators for free to help build the Climate Walls, we may never again be cooked alive in our own homes! So be sure to head on over to the Capital's website and submit a number of your predators for the construction. Please, I have way too much fur to deal with that kind of heat!"
Nick leaned back with a scowl while Finnick gripped the steering wheel a bit tightly. They expected music, not some annoying prey's voice complaining about the heat. They both had had to mend a road that day with no shade whatsoever. It was by some miracle they hadn't withered away due to heat stroke.
And they knew that if they had stayed at the Robinson's, they would most likely be part of the building crew for the new Climate Walls. Knowing that they would not have to endure that suffering was a small relief to them both.
They were about to change the radio to a different station, but the radio host caught their attention with the mention of their personal home in Hell. "In other news, the Robinson family of Clearwater has now been recognized as one of Zootopia's largest suppliers of cheap labour! The Robinsons have trained and disciplined their foxes so well that they have earned a personal visit from some representatives of the Capital! Be sure to congratulate them! They deserve it!
"Like I've always said, even all the way out here, you can be recognized by the Capital for your efforts! And what's a better way to boost your own productivity than to buy some more workers? In three days' time, there will be a Slave Auction held by the Harrison County Town Hall."
Nick's eyes widened upon hearing that, looking to Finnick in the driver's seat. Their fur stood on end as they tried to fight away their memories of the day they became property.
"And if you email our studio, you'll receive a printable coupon for one hundred dollars off your next purchase of three slaves or more! Do not miss this opportunity; we're not always this generous!" The host had a light chuckle. "Seriously, you should check them out. There are quite a few wolves available; even some that are already fixed. For those of you that do not want to sell any small, fluffy pelts or just simply do not want to deal with the loss of a worker for some time, you should consider this opportunity.
"They also have otters for a cheap price, a few female lions, and even a couple foxes. Though… I'm not sure why anyone would buy a fox nowadays… the disease-ridden pelts are not worth a damn. Honestly, I'm surprised the Robinsons still have foxes. I cannot believe how difficult it must be for them. Sure, they're doing well for themselves… but damn, wouldn't wolves be better? Otters, even? I mean, c'mon, everyone knows the old saying: 'The only good fox is a dead fox!' But whatever. If you want 'em, you can grab 'em here. And you better hurry; there is only one major fox breeder still standing, and I hear they are closing their doors soon. In fact, there are not many foxes left anywhere in the world. And if you ask me, that's gre-" the voice faded out as Nick turned the volume down.
"Th-that can't be true. No."
"What do you expect, Nick? For them to just keep us around, especially after the rabies outbreak last year?"
"Ah, yes, 'rabies'," Nick sardonically said as he air-quoted with his digits. "I refuse to believe that foxes were the only species affected. Rabies does not discriminate!"
Finnick eased the pressure he was putting on the accelerator and leaned his head into his paw, pressing his thumb into his skull. "Don't matter what you think. You know we're just 'a pandemic waiting to happen'."
Nick squirmed in his seat, trying his best to get comfortable while also being in a position that blocked the Sun from hurting his eyes. Frustrated, he flipped the visor down to shield his eyes, causing a pair of aviator sunglasses to fall into his lap. "Huh," he muttered, putting them on.
In that moment, Nick's perspective of the world darkened. The strain on his eyes immediately left and everything felt calmer, less aggressive. He wished he had a pair sooner. As a fox, his eyes were naturally more sensitive.
"Really, Nick?" Finnick asked, having noticed the eyewear now on Nick's muzzle.
"What? They help!"
"Yeah… and now you look like an asshole."
Nick stuck his tongue out at Finnick.
Trying to get back on subject, Finnick said, "At least we won't have to watch another kit lose itself to slavery."
"I suppose that is a silver lining, as the expression goes. But still… let's hope there are enough foxes in other countries to keep the species going. Surely that radio host isn't right… I certainly don't want to be part of one of the last fox generations." When his best friend did not respond, Nick shook his head and turned up the volume of the radio with a flick of the wrist, hoping to find some music. "The radio host should be done by now," he thought.
For a moment, a slow, pleasant piano plucked at their ears with a soft voice enchanting their minds, singing about love and how it is sometimes found in the most unexpected of places. That pleasantness did not last. The truck's speakers squealed as a loud beep tore at the ears of the predators trapped inside, jolting them from their relaxed positions. A robotic voice then came through, sounding like a female's voice that was recorded poorly and then shoved through damaged speakers while also being recorded for the second time. "This is an emergency broadcast. The Robinson family of Clearwater has lost two of their slaves: a red fox by the name of Nicholas Wilde, early twenties; and a fennec fox by the name of Cornelius Tihkoosue, also early twenties. They stole a 2016 Hino 117 box truck belonging to produce supplier, Paragon Whole Foods, license plate A113F00D. It is likely traveling through Bunnyburrow. Call your local police department if you have any details regarding their location. They may be armed and dangerous. Independent capture is preferred, but elimination is also authorized. The deaths or capture of these dangerous savages will provide comfort to Zootopia and its lands. Fair hunting."
Now, you'd think that would cause concern to two escaped slaves, and it did, but what hung more heavily on their minds, particularly Nick's, was what that terribly robotic voice had called the now wide-eyed fennec fox beside him.
As slaves, they were assigned numbers instead of names. It de-mammalized them and made things easier on their masters. As a result, if you wanted to know the name of a fellow slave, you'd have to ask and hope they were truthful. Finnick never gave an answer and was just called Fennec because of his species. One night that changed. While Nick was learning the basics of 'hiding in dark corners with a 'borrowed' textbook in paw in order to educate oneself,' he came across a character in a short story he was reading that was named 'Finnick.' Thus, fennec became Finnick.
But now he knew his real name.
Finnick tried to stop Nick, he really did. He gave the taller fox the best glare he could come up with and even threatened bodily harm. But alas, it was a futile effort. Nick looked right into Finnick's—Cornelius'—eyes for a more couple seconds before he doubled over with the most high-pitched laugh to ever escape his muzzle. He laughed so hard his sides began to hurt.
Finnick reached over and ripped the dancing Meowna bunny hula doll off the top of the dashboard and flung it at Nick, hitting him directly on his arm, making him flinch and stopping his laughter. "Ow! Seriously!"
"That name never leaves this truck! Got that?"
Nick leaned against the door and crossed his arms. "Well, I'm sowwy," he said derisively. "Never told us your name to begin with."
"It ain't none of your business!"
"First, Fin, that's a double negative. Second, there's more to it, then? Not just embarrassment, eh?" Nick sighed, getting a clearer picture. "Okay, I really am sorry. I didn't know. If it's personal to you, I won't bring it up again." Leaning down, Nick picked up the doll from under his seat
"It is, so you better not." Slowly breathing out, Finnick muttered, "You're not an ass like some of the other foxes back there, I suppose. They'd just keep going." That earned him a playful shove.
"You suppose? Fin, I'm a saint!"
"Yeah, when pigs fly," the fennec chuckled.
"Hey, that's offensive to pigs," he laughed with him. "Besides, I heard they just started to recruit them for their air force."
A moment passed before he spoke again. "Do you miss them?"
"...Yeah."
"There's got to be a way to break them out."
"Nick… how?"
"I don't know. Not yet. But we can figure something out...together."
"Do you need your head checked?" Finnick turned to Nick. "Do you remember how difficult it was for us to get out? We're only two foxes!"
"They deserve a better life. I'd like to give them a chance."
"You'll get yourself killed if you tried that. Hell, we can still be killed!"
"It won't be just me. Surely someone up at Deerbrooke would want to help."
"Seriously, your optimism will kill you someday."
"So be it," he grumbled. "I just want to try. I'm no more deserving of happiness than they are."
Finnick turned back in his seat and leaned back. He looked at the dashboard with a heavy sigh. "Hey, we're starting to get low on fuel."
"Well," Nick said, taking the map from his pocket and unfolding it. "we'll be in the woods for a while longer. If I'm correct, we can ditch the truck in a couple hours."
"Sure."
"When we do, I'm going to go foraging. I'm getting hungry."
"Please do not get started on food. I'm trying to not think about it."
"Heh, for such a little guy, you eat a lot."
"Little guy? You want to get hurt, huh?"
Nick chuckled and then looked out the window, watching as the trees blurred past.
Considering the region they were in, it was inevitable for them to begin traveling up a mountain. There would be breaks between the trees every now and then, giving both foxes a view of the increasingly mountainous landscape around them. Nick noticed they looked almost fluffy from a distance. The leaves resembled green cotton.
The sky also appeared more pleasing. No longer was it a symbol of openness and freedom that was out of reach. Instead, it now gave him hope. He had acquired freedom. Now he just needed to keep it.
The clouds also seemed to have a different quality. They resonated with him much more than before; so much so that his mind began picking out clouds that resembled something. One cluster looked like a house, for example, and another looked like a feather.
There was even one that looked nearly identical to a rabbit. That normally would've repulsed him, but this time he found himself looking at that cloud more than the rest, memorizing it. The cloud-bunny had an innocence and beauty that he could not put his claw on… he could not ignore it.
The cloud took up his mind, easing his worries and softly drooping eyes. It was the last thing he saw before his emerald eyes retreated blissfully into sleep.
The truck's lulling vibrations sputtered out, the stillness waking Nick from his slumber. Finnick had driven it deep into the woods the moment their fuel reserves began running short. After Finnick had some rest, they set upon the next leg of their journey on-paw, foraging for whatever food and water they could find.
The library at the camp had been very sparse; filled mostly with technical references. Surprisingly, they had found a Junior Ranger Scouts book and committed much of it to memory. They knew what berries to touch, what bugs to stay away from, what vegetables to grab, what actions to take to start a fire, and so on. While they were not getting exactly what they needed-foxes having specific dietary requirements like all other mammals-they were at least not starving. They could survive like that for a bit without having to take more drastic measures. The bugs really helped. Both foxes enjoyed them well enough, and they provided most of their dietary protein.
Their main issue was direction. It was quite easy to get turned around in the middle of a forest devoid of landmarks. This caused them to stick close to roads. Nick, having the brighter fur and being the tallest, usually followed Finnick from off to the side, letting the smaller fox get closer to whatever road they were following and lead them both. He was the least likely to be seen even though they still both wore the yellow jumpsuits from the plantation. They also tried to follow roads that would eventually lead them to bodies of water.
Luckily for them, it rained several times over their first week of traveling. Even if they went a day or two without finding a creek or lake, there were usually a lot of puddles to drink from. It was certainly not their preferred source of water, but when you're running from mammals who want to capture and kill you-most of them willing to skip the first step-dignity took a back seat.
That was how Nick saw it, at least.
"Hey, we're coming near a clearing. And… is that a light?"
"Yep… that's another home." Knowing what Finnick was going to say next, Nick quickly added, "And, no."
"No? What do you mean, 'no'?"
"We are not going to take any bottles of water from them."
"You can't be serious!"
Nick climbed up a small hill that better overlooked the house. He wanted to continue walking past it and not be caught by some prey animal. It was nighttime, yes, but it was better to be safe than sorry. "I'm perfectly fine with drinking from lakes. We've been doing it for a week now, Fin. What's gotten into you?"
"What happens if we don't find a lake, huh? I'm tired of worrying about dehydration."
"We'll never be too far from a town once we get into Bunnyburrow. If we get that desperate, then we can begin stealing. But I am not stealing from innocent mammals if we're perfectly fine."
"What do you mean 'innocent'! You don't know that! And this is only one house, not a town full of them. We're more likely to be caught stealing there than we are from this house. It's alone out here!" Finnick began grinding his teeth. "I just want to have one less thing to worry about. And remember that stream we almost drank out of?"
"The one with the sewage pipe?"
Finnick nodded. "What if we had drunk from it? What if we do make that mistake? Getting sick will kill us! And it's peace of mind, Nick. We have enough to deal with. And can you even call that stealing?"
"Yes."
"Nick!" Before he yelled any louder, the fennec began breathing more slowly to calm himself down. "Just give me five minutes. Just five, and I'll only take four bottles; two for each of us."
"Do you really want to risk this? We've been lucky so far."
"Dehydration is not something I'd want to test our luck against."
Nick gave it some thought. "Fine... but only if you fill up two of them, not all four! We'll refill the empties from a nearby stream. The longer you're in there, the more likely I'll have to come save your stupid ass. Ouch!" Finnick gave him an enthusiastic punch on his arm and began snaking his way through the trees and towards the house. Nick shook his head and followed.
The house was a quaint little thing. Only one story, it looked insignificant compared to the trees towering behind it. In front of it was a gravel path that led to the road the foxes were traveling along. Surrounding it was rows and rows of fruits and vegetables, enough to feed a decently-sized town of prey for a week.
Finnick dove into the blueberry bushes, using them as cover. Nick was right behind, but instead of continuing with the fennec, he decided to keep a lookout for trouble. Plus… he had never eaten blueberries before.
Quietly, he plucked one off of the nearest bush and dropped it into his mouth. The fruit celebrated in his maw, assaulting his tongue with a sweet and dazzling harshness. It surprised him. He expected something much milder and calming. But this… he had to have more; it was like the berries were calling to him. Recovering from his initial shock, he grabbed a pawful and savored the blue orbs one-by-one, each one bursting with flavour in his mouth as his teeth tore into it.
The moment came to an end too quickly. Two hyena cubs wearing slave collars burst from the front door with a male kudu following behind, desperately trying to catch them.
Nick's eyes followed the cubs as they sprinted down the gravel path. "Shit!" the kudu yelled, falling to his knees as his chest quickly rose and fell as he gasped for air. "Get back here, pelts! When I get my paws on you, I'll-" a sharp zapping sound cut him off, and the two hyenas slumped to the ground. A squad of prey mammals emerged from the treeline, two of them reloading their stun guns. A zebra broke off from a squad of four, cuffed them both and dragged them back to the kudu.
Nick was thinking of interfering, but something caught his eye, drawing his gaze towards the objects. Light was glinting off something attached to each of their bodies. Holstered to the each of the prey's side, reflecting the light from the house, was a pistol. If Nick were to try anything, he'd likely get shot if not tasered first. As much as the fox wanted to help, now was not the time. But he continued to watch, waiting for an opportunity.
"Sir?" the zebra said, taking off a pair of night vision goggles. "Joshua Haughton, Predator Patrol. These yours?" he shoved the cubs in front of him.
"Uh, yes, they are. Need identification papers?"
"No need. Just tell me your name."
"Oh. Uh, Caleb Cortez," the kudu answered quickly. "And no, never before."
Nick slowly crept to the edge of the blueberry bushes while the sound of crunching gravel hid his movements; the wife of the male kudu had finally come out.
She also brought two paw-shackled adult hyenas out wearing slave collars as well, but tied them to the front porch's support beams so that they couldn't try anything. "Thank you, sir. But why are you here? We didn't call Predator Patrol. We never get any problems with preds here." She recognized the zebra's uniform, having seen members of the Predator Patrol a few times while heading to town.
Their uniform was actually quite distinctive. Colored a subdued red, it stood out very well. It also looked much like a military officer's uniform, complete with a black cap and gold trim. It also had the black and white patch of the Predator Patrol.
"Have you seen the news? There are two escaped slaves heading to Bunnyburrow. A few days ago we found the vehicle they stole ditched inside the forest. We have reason to believe that they may be in this area, based on their speed and direction. We've found the remains of their campsites. Seen them? They're foxes."
Nick cursed under his breath as he stayed frozen in his hiding spot amongst the bushes.
"Sorry, sir, got nothing for ya's."
"No harm done. Just call us if you happen to see or hear anything." He pulled out his pistol and inspected it. "Back to the matter at hoof. Those two… hyenas?" Caleb nodded. "Are they the parents of these two?"
This time, the Mrs. Cortez answered. "Yeah. Bought 'em o'er ten years ago."
"Well, looks like none of your slaves really know their place. This will not be the last escape attempt if you don't teach them properly." He gave the pistol to the male kudu.
"Uh… Officer?"
"Shoot the girl. She's older, right? And the boy was following her, letting her take the lead. Teach him and his parents obedience, submission. We'll compensate you with the money to replace her." His men visibly flinched when they heard that, but otherwise remained silent.
Nick's eyes widened upon hearing that. He needed to get them out of there. The fox could not take any more death. However, his paws refused to obey his commands as he stayed rooted in place.
"Sir, I-I don't think that's ne-necessary." Caleb shakily held the pistol, being sure to aim at the ground.
"It'll happen again otherwise."
"I… I've never k-killed anyone before…" The kudu never liked predators, they were inferior savages, but they had their uses and did not deserve to die. He would most definitely punish the boy and girl, probably by cutting a tendon on one of their hind-paws so that they could not run off again, but he did not want to kill them. As much as he found predators disgusting, they were still forms of life.
"Okay, mister stutterer," scorned the zebra, "I'm tired of this. Shoot the girl."
"But-"
"Do it!" snarled the zebra.
Caleb raised the gun towards the girl, the firearm shaking in his unstable grasp. With his eyes closed, he attempted to aim the gun, muttering to himself but his tremors had the barrel pointed everywhere except at the two cubs.
The cubs' eyes widened as the gun jittered and jerked in the grasp of their owner. They began trying to pull away from the zebra, using every ounce of strength they had to free themselves.
"Fuck it," muttered the zebra as he ripped the gun out of the kudu's hooves. "Can't send a boy to do a man's job." He aimed the gun at the head of the girl hyena and snarled at the trembling kudu. "This is how you treat insolent pelts." as he pointed the barrel of the gun against her head.
The girl cub, Liza, was terrified. She had momentarily tasted freedom, a new life, when she had burst through those doors. But now, the cold barrel of a gun was shoving its way through her fur as it pressed against her skull.
Her thoughts went to her brother, Andrew. They were usually separated from their parents, so to him, his sister was the light of his life, just as he was for hers. She was his protector, his guardian whenever he was in trouble. She took the hardest the jobs and the cruelest punishments, even the ones that were meant for the boy. Each time he made a mistake, Liza would take the blame and the pain from the punishment just so that her brother wouldn't have to. She couldn't stand to see him hurt.
Liza didn't even cry in his presence. She had only done that once in her life, and it caused tears to also flow from her brother's eyes. She had vowed to never be the cause of his tears ever again.
But now, she was going to die. Andrew wouldn't have her. His sister, his best friend, his guardian, his everything. He'd have to grow up alone, rarely seeing his parents and never again seeing his sister. He'd sleep alone, eat alone, work alone, cry alone. The cub would truly be alone for the first time in his life, alone without a light to lead him.
Their mother and father were screaming, insulting the officer with every zebra slur imaginable. She was pulling at the rope wrapped around the pole she was tied to, making the wood groan with every pull. The father growled and smashed his teeth into his rope, trying to tear apart every thin strand but with his filed teeth, it was a futile effort.
Andrew felt his heart drop when the zebra's hoof inched a little closer to a button on the side of the gun. That was the trigger-specifically designed for hoofed mammals-that would end his sister's life.
Memories flashed through his mind. Of hugs and kisses from his parents. Of wet tears and and cold noses during nights in bed. And most important of all, memories of his sister's love flashed before his eyes.
In an instant, he moved to push his sister to the side, just as he heard the word 'now' and 'no' pierce his ears.
"Now!" the officer said, his breath almost taken away by the boy's sudden charge that took his arm with him.
A sharp crack lit the area around each mammal, a plume of fire and smoke leaving the barrel of the pistol. Two mammals crumpled to the ground; one gravely injured, one under the other, their clothing stained with red.
"Fuck!" said the zebra as he shook his head. "Well, one of them's dead anyway. Looks like the boy had more spirit anyway so all the better for us, eh, farmer?"
The male kudu could only look on helplessly in horror at the sight of the two sprawled bodies in his front yard. The young female looked unhurt as her brother had provided the ultimate sacrifice of love by shielding her from the bullet meant to kill her. She began to wail as she rocked the lifeless body of her sibling in her arms. Her parents began to howl in sadness at the loss of their child.
"Shut them up!" yelled the zebra. The female kudu began to drag the two unresisting adults away back into the farmhouse as the male kudu approached the young female to quiet her before he lost another slave to the hot-headed equid. He gathered her into his arms as she sobbed helplessly against him, seeking consolation.
The zebra sneered at the sight. "You a predator sympathizer, farmer?"
The kudu looked up in shock. "No, sir! It's just that she's young-"
"Don't care, farmer, but we can definitely overlook your actions here tonight if, say…" he paused as he evaluated the situation. Leering at the farmer, he leaned over and said in a low voice, "She'll be of breeding age in about six months, right?"
The farmer wordlessly nodded, wondering where the line of questioning was leading to.
"Well then," rubbing his hooves in satisfaction, "I'll come back in a year and you're going to give me one of her offspring to be my own pet. You do that and we don't have to report this incident tonight to the Council, am I clear?"
"But I can't afford the stud fees!" gasped the farmer, "I barely make enough to pay the taxes that the Council imposes on us."
"Listen here, farmer," growled the zebra as he grabbed the male kudu by the front of his shirt, "I don't care if you have her own father impregnate her. You get it done or else you're the one who's going to the stockade for being a sympathizer!"
With that, the zebra let go of the kudu's shirt and strode out the front gate. As he got in the jeep along with the three other prey mammals, he called back to the farmer, "Remember! A year from now!" as they sped away down the road.
Nick stood, petrified. He began hyperventilating, barely keeping quiet enough all the while losing his balance as he crumpled to the ground. His eyes were immediately covered by a blurry layer of tears.
A few minutes later, Finnick emerged from the back door, carrying a couple bottles of water. He had watched the entire scene unfold from behind one of the upstairs windows, and it took all of his strength not to explode in anger.
Coming up to the blueberry bushes, he found Nick curled up in a ball, his eyes squint shut. "Nick," he started quietly, gently shaking him. The only response he got was a strained whimper. "C'mon, Nick!" he whispered fiercely. "I know…but we gotta get outta here."
Curling himself up even tighter, the tod refused to listen to his companion. Nothing reached his ears, nothing except for the whimpers of the young female out in the yard.
"I swear! Get up!" Finnick insisted. He pulled him up and started yanking him towards the treeline. Once amidst the trees, the foxes ran. They ran faster than they ever had, longer than they ever had. Their bodies burned, their muscles long past their breaking point. It didn't take much longer before the foxes collapsed, their chests heaving, their tears turning the dirt underneath them into small puddles of mud.