A/N

Hello. Everyone seems to really be enjoying this, and Muse is still going so WCST continues here with Chapter 6.

This is AU to my other story, a slight difference in events resulting in this world instead of A Friendly Hustle. There is lots of overlap as you will notice, for that reason, but also some divergence. The actual divergent event is something I am keeping in my back pocket. :)

Of course, I do not own Zootopia, and can therefore make no claims to Zootopia or its characters. I only make claim to my own OC's included herein as needed. Though I think I could do more with it than Disney is at the moment. So many awesome ideas that they could use, and they're sitting on their asses.

I blame Bear678 for this.

Anyway, on with the show.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wilde Cardz - Savage Territory - Chapter 6

The elk led Nick into the building, then had him wait in a small office while he approached the conference room where a number of mammals were loudly arguing with each other. Closing his eyes, Nick focused on his hearing and listened.

"That's insane! We cannot let the tainted wonder around unchecked. They will demand to be treated as equals instead of the tainted that they are. If I had my way, we'd run them all out. They shouldn't even be allowed within our walls."

"Do you hear yourself? It's just specism all over again, only the difference is that it isn't based on species, but because one mammal was affected differently than others."

"I will not allow the tainted to wander around unmonitored. We must keep them in check or they will seek to dominate us again using their perversion of nature."

"You probably supported Bellwether too."

"Why? Just because I'm a goat?"

"No, because you are spewing the same hate she did. I'm a sheep, if you are too blind to see. That evil ewe put a target on our backs as big as any fox or other small predator ever had to deal with. For years it was easy to discriminate against sheep because of her. I will not tolerate such evil being perpetrated again. The armbands foster hate. They single out those with abilities and make it easy to deny them service, food, and make them easy to treat as second class citizens."

"Which they are!"

"They are not… What is it Jacob?" Nick nodded with a smile, now he knew the elk's name.

"Sorry to interrupt, but there is a representative from a large settlement on the other side of the gauntlet here to meet with you."

The first and anti-empowered voice speaks up. "Oh, that's excellent. We need to make contact with other groups if we are to ever recover."

The elk, Jacob sighed. "They are what they call, an empowered, what we call tainted. They do not brand or force their empowered to wear arm bands. They are treated as equal citizens and they happily use their abilities to support the group."

"Tainted. Gods. Send them away. If they are going to accept the tainted, then let them burn, we want nothing to do with them."

A new voice broke in that Nick recognized with some shock. "Shut it Herald. You are not the only vote here. I say we hear this mammal out, empowered or not. I like that term. It describes what they are and doesn't brand them as somehow evil by default for something they had no control over."

"Bah. Put it to a vote then. All in favor of sending the tainted scum packing."

The other voice. "Those in favor of hearing them out? … Fine, Jacob, please bring them to us."

A moment later, Jacob opened the office door and motioned for Nick to follow him. "Come on. Not all of the council are going to hear you, but some will."

"Thank you Jacob."

Jacob looked down at Nick. "How?"

"You never asked what my abilities were. My hearing was rather exceptional before, and is now even more-so."

Chuckling, Jacob nodded. "Fair enough."

"It'll be nice to see Jason again. I recognized his voice."

Opening the door, Jacob smiled. "I'm sure you're going to be a surprise for him."

Jason, a brown and grey rabbit looked up. "Nick! You're alive?!"

Nick grinned. "Hey Jason. You haven't happened to see your sister since all this happened, have you? I'm still trying to find her. We were separated, trying to find more information on the virus that caused all this when everything went to hell."

Dropping into his chair, Jason shook his head sadly. "No. Seeing you, I was hoping…"

"I know." Nick looked down and shook his head sadly. "I'm on a bit of a rabbit hunt, as well as out seeking to make contact with groups like yours on behalf of mine, and following the old leads she and I were chasing just before. We hope to get a better understanding of what happened to us all and the virus that did it."

The sheep that spoke against Harold gasped. "A virus?"

Nick nodded. "Judy, Jason's sister and litter mate and my ZPD partner, were following some leads when everything went sideways. You see, some of Bellwether followers got a geneticist to build a supposedly predator only virus to sterilize us all and make us savage. They, the geneticist, had an attack of conscience and sent us videos and a bunch of info on the virus. However, by that point we had figured out it was not a new variant of Night Howler toxin, but a virus, and it was also already global. I doubt anything we find will help those made savage, but maybe there will be something we can do to make it so they are more like they should be. I'm also on a personal mission to try and find Judy."

Jason nodded and looked up at Nick sadly. "I cannot imagine how you are still alive."

"I'm not sure either, Jason. It hasn't been easy. But if there is one mammal out there that could survive, and thrive, in all this, it's Judy."

Jason gave a watery chuckle. "That's the truth."

"I'm not going to give up until I find her, one way or the other."

A wolf who had not yet spoken leaned on the table. "You're saying that this entire situation was caused by prey supremacists trying to commit genocide of all predators."

"I'm not saying it, I am telling you that is what caused this. This entire thing was caused by supporters of Bellwether who sought to complete her work. Judy and I dedicated the last six months prior to things going to hell, to try and track them down. They were acting in terrorist cells and we took down dozens of cells, all were working on different variations of the Night Howler toxin. However, before we were able to locate the one that caused this, they infected themselves to act as carriers, then went out and started fights in predator bars. The virus was airborne, and with them breathing hard in a fight, plus blood and spit flying… They got an apocalypse, just not the one that they wanted. They were the first ones to go savage."

The goat laughed, hard, slapping the table. "You are really going to believe this pelts story."

The wolf turned to the goat and nodded. "I do. I worked with Nick from the day he walked into precinct one. Despite the absolute hell that we loaded on both him and Hopps, Jason's sister, they never buckled. They proved time and again that they were one of the best teams we ever had and were able to take down mega-fauna with disturbing regularity. They were also the best pair of investigators we ever had. Hopps' natural intuition and Wilde's ability to pick up on the smallest detail, matched with their mutual ability to link these facts together. It does not surprise me in the slightest that they were on to something like that."

The goat laughed again. "Publicity stunt. That's all they were. Nothing more. I heard about them, taking credit for other mammals' work."

Nick grinned wickedly. He knew who the goat was. He and Judy had turned over their work to the DA about a month before they started on the Night Howler acolytes investigation. "You mean, like you, Herald Hooferson? Former owner of Hooferson construction. Indicted on thirty counts, including accessory to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful disposal of a body, and a nasty collection of other conspiracy charges as your leading position with the anti-inter group that Judy and I tore apart. And those are just the charges I remember, since the investigation was still ongoing."

Several of the council members sat up straight, the wolf speaking. "Wait. I remember that case. It took down dozens of cops who were members. Didn't that turn into a task force or something?"

Nick nodded. "It did on both counts. It was further investigation that found this sorry excuse for a mammal and how he helped fund them. He also provided places to dispose of bodies when needed via his construction company. Apparently he liked to make videos to go back and watch later. The DA was looking at additional charges, because we found video of him helping push a still breathing white tailed deer buck, after they cut off his antlers, into wet cement, and then poured more over the poor mammal. Herald here just sitting back and laughing after using his own hoof to push the deer's head down."

Several of the other council members cursed. A deer doe gasped. "Do you know his name?" whipstering under her breath. "Please no…"

Nick looked at her sadly. "We were able to ID him from dental and DNA after we found the video and broke open the foundation of the poor family's house he was entombed in. Neeral Shasta."

The wolf looked over to her quickly. "Isn't that your name Anne?"

Tears streamed down her muzzle as she sobbed and nodded. "Neeral was my older brother. He disappeared along with his mate, a year before. He had taken a jackal as his mate. We were uncomfortable at first, but tried to be accepting. They were so clearly in love, and then just disappeared." She looked up at Nick. "Did you ever find her?"

Nick frowned deeper. "Next house over. They made him watch before putting him in."

Anne gasped in horror as Herald stood up. "I'm not going to listen to this anymore. I can't believe any of you are buying the lies of this fox."

The wolf stood up. "I vouch for him."

Jason stood up as well. "I vouch for him as well. If anything, I have never known a mammal with more integrity than Nick, other than maybe my sister Judy, his mate."

The goat made to run and found Nick suddenly in front of him. "I get the feeling the rest of the council wants to have a word with you, Herald."

"Get out of my way, pelt!" Herald then took a swing at Nick, who just stood there. There was a loud crack of hoof on muzzle, and then Herald yelled in pain. "Rutting tainted pelt! Guards! Get in here now!"

Several former ZPD officers entered at Heralds yell. The lead speaking. "Council member?"

"Take this tainted pelt into custody. He's accused of treason! I want him locked up now!"

The wolf from before, along with the deer,and Jason yelled in unison. "NO!"

Jason speaking up. "No, you will place the council member under arrest. He is going to stand trial for the crimes he committed before and probably since the world ended."

Nick smiled up at Delgato. "Hey Leo. Good to see you again. Yeah, Herald here was one of the finance guys behind that anti-inter group Judy and I were taking apart. He's the one that liked to take videos of him putting mammals into wet cement in his construction sites, while still alive."

Leonard Delgato's mane bristled out and a deep growl emanated from him. Turning to the elk and maned wolf that had followed him in. "Put the council member in a cell and then bring me the key. He will not be let out for any reason unless I let him out, is that clear?"

Both mammals looked at the council member and nodded. Speaking in unison. "Yes sir."

Herald screamed in rage as he held his clearly broken wrist. "You're going to take the word of some random tainted pelt over a member of this council?"

Delgato looked down at him. "I'm taking the word of one of the finest ZPD officers I ever had the privilege of serving with, along with three other council members, over you, former council member.

Jason spoke up. "Let's just go ahead and make it official. All in favor of stripping Herald of his position on the council?" Nodding as all paws or hooves went up. "All in favor of having an investigation opened into Herald and his actions from before, and after things went to dung?" Another full set of votes. "Unanimous on both counts. Officers, please take him away and do as Officer Delgato suggests. Nick, please have a seat. There is much for us to discuss of a much less unsavory nature."

Smiling, Nick made sure Herald saw him taking over his chair as he was dragged out of the conference room that served as a council chamber. Herald screaming obscenities the whole way. Once Herald was well out of ear-shot, Nick looked over the assembled mammals. "So, that was unpleasant, but I think it was necessary. Let me start with where I come from. We have a large secure and safe settlement beyond what Jacob called the gauntlet. It was initially established by some former organized crime members, and they were ruling it as their own little kingdom. Being a member of the ZPD, I just couldn't let that stand. I collected some SWAT gear and took them down.

Once freed, the mammals of that area with some prompting from me, formed an elected council much as you seem to have. There are some assigned positions, such as head of security. I am both an elected council member and head of security, and the fact that I am empowered is not well known, simply because I don't flaunt it.

We have grown a lot in the past few months, growing our secure area and absorbing smaller groups as well as individual mammals that come across us. We have three categories of mammals. The savage, the empowered like myself, and the unchanged. The empowered are a minority, as you know, but we embrace their abilities. Empowered have made us safer with their abilities, defended our territory from raiders, and are treated as every other member of our group. They just have different ways to contribute, the same way a doctor or a nurse contributes in ways few others can.

The mission my compatriots and I are on is multifold. We are seeking more information on the virus that caused all this. We are seeking more information, and to map where other settlements are. We are also looking to identify groups we can hopefully join forces with, like yourselves. As well as where those would be kings and tyrants reside. We have taken down about seven of them, because we embrace our empowered, as well as the fact that we have many former ZPD, guards, and even a few ZBI in our number.

Lastly, there is my personal mission to find my mate, Judy. She was in this direction when things went sideways for the world, while I was all the way over in the Meadowlands. I found the cruiser she was in a few days later, about two weeks actually. It was a very long walk. I also found the body of the officer she had been with. I was not able to pick up her scent however, because this was just after the climate systems went completely nuts and then shut down.

I searched for her, and during that search is when I found that group I took down. Our apartment was within the bounds of that group, and they wouldn't let me in to check for her without swearing allegiance. When I figured out how they were treating most of the survivors as slaves… Well, Judy would never have forgiven me if I ignored that, so I did something about it as I said. Since then I have spent my time making sure that the settlement I helped found was able to prosper, and praying for some hint of Judy. Questions?"

Jason shook his head. "That's the same reason I ran for the council. Judy would never forgive me if I didn't do everything I could to fix what has been broken."

Nick nodded. "When I find her, after I smother her in my scent, I know she'll be proud of what I have done to do just that."

The wolf spoke up. "So, how do we make contact with your group? Though I suppose we should come up with some better terminology."

Jason nodded. "I like settlement, personally. I mean, it isn't perfect, nor is group, but it holds the suggestion of civilization. Something we are in desperate need of reclaiming."

Nick nodded. "I agree. I'll try and keep using that term."

A Zebra that had been silent up until that point shook his head. "I've been with Herald on many votes, because I found his arguments compelling. That said, I was never comfortable with the way the arm bands and how they have made it so easy for the empowered to be discriminated against and isolated without our settlement. Unlike Herald, I always thought that the empowered … I like that term so much better ... I always thought that we were wasting their abilities. If anything, they have been given a gift, not a taint.

It was the same kind of mindless hate Herald, and even I was fostering, that gave Bellwether her power, that drove those groups of prey terrorists to create the virus that destroyed the world as we knew it. It is time we grew up. It is time we walked away from those ancient prejudices. It is time I did that.

I propose that we ally with the settlement that Nick represents. I also propose that we change our laws. There is a lot of things that will have to be gone over, and I would like the opportunity, if the rest of the council will permit me, to be the one to go through those laws and propose changes that end the discrimination against empowered, or any other mammal. Yes, our settlement started under the boot of the empowered who used their abilities to enslave us. It was also empowered who used their abilities the way Nick described and freed us, and it is time we remembered that. It will take time, but it is worth changing. As a settlement, it must be us as its leaders that start this change."

The other council members nodded, a boar sow speaking up. "I agree. I also propose that an additional, voting member be added to this council, and that member must be an empowered."

Jason smiled. "Okay. First. Proposal to ally with the settlement Nick represents. … Excellent, unanimous. Proposal passed. Proposal to change all official, everything, to use the terms settlement and empowered? … Passed. Is there a reason you're against, Council Davis?"

Council Davis, a fossa, frowned. "Other than the fact that I don't think we should be taking these votes with him in the room. I don't trust empowered, or tainted, or whatever you want to call them. I lost family, my mate, to the empowered that enslaved us. If we're going to make these changes, then they should be on a trial basis."

The zebra scowled. "That right there is exactly why it should not be on a trial basis, George."

Jason shook his head. "Proposal to make all the changes we are discussing now, on a trial basis. … One for, all others against. Rejected. Proposal to add one voting member which must be empowered? … Passed, one against the rest for." Turning to Nick. "So, how do we do this?"

Smiling, Nick chuckled. "I have some documents back in the cruiser that I'll need to get. DIdn't see a reason to bring them until they were actually needed. Once signed, I will sign and then a drone will be launched, programmed to return to home base. I will also give you a handful of specially created tokens. The tokens can be used for a small group of mammals from your settlement to be able to visit and discuss trade with ours."

Jason nodded with a smile. "Excellent. Then, Nick. If you will excuse us, we have other votes and items that we really should discuss just amongst the council."

Nick nodded and stood up. "If I might make a suggestion. One of the first changes you make would be to get rid of the arm bands. Just my suggestion. I will retrieve the paperwork and give it to Jacob to bring to you while we prep the drone. While you consider it, I hope you will allow us to experience your settlement, perhaps find a way to purchase some supplies from your mammals, and maybe meet with your security mammals. As ZPD, it would be great to see some faces and know who else survived this mess. Under supervision, of course. Perhaps that is a way to reuse the arm bands. Different colors for different visitors. Red for those from ally settlements, etc…"

With that, Nick left with Jacob to retrieve the paperwork, the council quickly returning to its more natural state of slightly raised voices and disagreements on the smallest and insignificant things.

xxxxxxxx

That's it for this week. There may actually be an early posting of the next chapter as I'm going to be away for the weekend.