A/N
Hello everyone. This is proving to be quite popular, much to my pleasure as the author. I love hearing how much y'all enjoy this dalliance of my muse.
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.
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Wilde Cardz - Savage Territory - Chapter 9
Nick led the girls back into his apartment and makes up a quick breakfast of eggs and pancakes. Lynn complained as she ate. "Anne.. .Why do all the good todds that survived have to be already mated?"
Anne responded around a bite of pancake. "Wish I knew, lover. And this one is a good cook, too. Double whammy."
Nick chuckled. "You two are what, in your early twenties?"
"Twenty two." Said Anne.
"Twenty." Said Lynne.
Nick shook his head with a chuckle. "I am quite literally twice your age. I'm an old mammal in comparison to you two. Now, let's talk about this goat. Are you expecting to run into him again?"
They both nodded, Lynne speaking. "Yeah. He wanted to meet up with us again and make sure we gave you a proper reception."
"I see." Nick looked off into the distance, thinking. "Well, that might play into our favor. We can talk it over with Del, Lizz, and Mike. But that might help us track this goat to whomever put him up to putting you two up to this. I could give each of you a kit's mark. Few non-foxes will know the difference, and if you play it up."
Anne smirked. "We can make him believe we had a very good night."
Nick nodded with a smirk. "Exactly."
Lynn was now smirking as well. "And that mark will make it very easy to track us for you. Then, if we get pawsy with him."
"Your combined scents, on a goat of all mammals, is going to stand out to any predator trained to track, which both Mike and I were trained in the K9 unit in the ZPD."
Lynn laughed lightly. "And you'll be able to track him all the way back to whomever set us up."
Nick nodded. "Exactly. You two up for it?"
Lynn nodded with an evil smirk. "I totally am. It'll help make up for such a crass blunder that Anne and I made."
Nick shrugged. "Hey, you didn't know. Though giving you a key was surely over the top."
Anne shook her head. "That really should have been a red flag."
The foxes discussed things in more detail, including how they would wander around the settlement a bit, making sure they were sceen. About half way through the discussion, they were joined by Lizz and Mike, who were brought in on the plan while Nick cooked them breakfast as well. Snarking that he's going to make them cook the meals when they got back out on the road.
Just as Nick was cleaning up there was a knock on the door. "It's open." He called out.
Nick looked up as a leopard entered, the leopard entering cautiously. "Hello? Del told me to come over here and see…" His eyes went wide as he saw the three former ZPD officers. One of which suddenly appeared in front of him, and was giving him a very strong vulpine hug. "Nick? Hey mammal, what's up?" Patting Nick on the back.
Nick released the leopard and grinned up at him. "Just happy to see another friend that survived all this mess. Sorry about the surprise hug. Probably a bit of my bunny rubbing off too, you know how she was. You and Del make up for lost time?"
Jeff blushed. "We did. Del wanted me to ask you and everyone over for breakfast, but it smells like your pancakes."
"Yeah, we're all already fed. But we're happy to hop over. We have come up with a plan I think Del will like."
Nodding, Jeff led the way back across the hallway. Delgato is quickly brought up on the idea and agreed with them. "If we can take them all down, or a large number of them, that would be awesome. Our settlement is too small to withstand such a threat. We'd either end up falling apart or giving in to their demands because those would really be our only options. I'm already going to be short the three officers that sided with Herald and freed him."
Nick nodded. "Okay, so. Girls. I'm going to give you that mark, like I said. Then we can be seen leaving together. You can lead me to the shops and such, then after we separate, seek out the goat. Mike will keep an eye on you, and then I will follow his signal. Del and his mammals will be waiting for our signal that we have tracked them to their location of operations."
Delgato nodded. "At which point we will move in."
Nick frowned. "Del, do you think these mammals are going to be armed?"
With a nod, Delgato grunted. "Most likely."
"Then I'm going in first to draw their fire, or better infiltrate and disable and disarm as many as I can."
"No way in hell!" Delgato almost shouted. "Your rabbit would skin me and I mean that literally, if you get hurt."
Nick smiled, barely controlling a laugh at the look on the vixen's faces as they tried to figure out what kind of rabbit could instill actual fear in a full grown lion. "Del. I've taken an RPG to the chest, and the only thing I had to do was find new clothes. Yes, I packed in a bunch of SWAT gear when I liberated our settlement, but the real reason I could do it was the fact that I'm not just fast and strong, but I've yet to encounter anything that could hurt me. If I could fly and shoot lasers from my eyes, I'd be super-fox."
Delgato crossed his arms and glared at Nick. "Fine! But if you get hurt and Judy comes after me."
"She won't, Del. Besides there isn't a reason for your people to get hurt when they don't need to be. And you know as well as I do that a prolonged firefight is not going to do anyone, nor your settlement any good."
Delgato threw his paw in the air. "Fine! I get it. I get it!"
A few more minutes of planning later, Nick marked the two vixens and they exited the building arm in arm with big grins. Grins that a mammal who was assuming they had gotten busy that night would take as being caused by that, and not the fun of pulling off a con on the mammals observing.
They wandered around the market area, Nick arranging some purchases, mostly through barter, which the merchants were happy to work with. Delivery on payment, since Nick needed to go back to the cruiser to get the barter items. The girls then showed Nick some of the sights, both giving him kisses on the cheek as they separated at the cruiser.
Nick followed through with his purchases and arranged for the delivery to the cruiser later that day. He was just walking away from the last merchant when he got the signal from Mike that the girls had met with a goat. Nick made a quick move towards where they were so he could pick up the trail. The goat was clearly not happy with how pawsy they got with him, but that was exactly what was needed.
Nick keyed his mic. "Okay, Mike. What's the status?"
"I'm tracking the goat, but he's gone into a very heavy prey area so I'm probably going to lose him soon and have to rely on you."
"Got it. Lizz, I just got to the meeting spot, where are you?"
Lizz responded. "I'm a minute away. Start your track, I'll catch up."
Nick nodded and put his nose to use. "Got it. Del, you and your people ready?"
Del responded on the radio. "We are. Gods, it's nice having a radio again."
Nick chuckled. "We'll get you more. Now, why haven't you raided the nearby ZPD office?"
Delgato sighed. "It is on the far side of a large park that is home to a substantial group of savage mammals. Even then, there are also a significant number of savages that stalk the area around it as well. There is no way to get there. They also make regular attempts at our walls too."
"Oh, I see. Well, I've got the scent and am tracking. I'm changing to the rooftops, no need to overly tip our hand. Lizz, hold back a bit and follow a few false trails. Del, once we deal with this, I'm sure we can help you with that savage problem too. Now be ready to move in."
"Got it. We are ready and about ten seconds behind Lizz."
Over the next hour, Nick worked his way across roof after roof, tracking the goat until he caught up to him. Once he had the goat in sight, it was just a matter of keeping an eye on him. The goat kept backtracking, but never looked up, just as Nick knew they wouldn't. Mammals never look up. Something Judy taught him early on.
Finally, the goat decided he was not being followed and made a direct line to a building right on the outskirts that was part of the outward facing wall that protected the settlement.
Nick keyed his radio as he watched the goat enter the building and took note of several guards at the entrance, with actual lethal firearms, as well as at least one of the roof. "Mike. We've got a building with a number of guards, armed with lethals, at the front and at least one on the roof that I can see. Need you to use those missing peepers of yours, and recon the place."
Mike chuckled. "Yeah yeah. Don't lose your tail fur and give me a minute. We need to get a bit closer. I can see, but it's blurry."
Nick crouched and continued to observe. "Okay. I can make the roof easy enough with a good jump, but I need to know when I'm going into."
A few minutes later, Mike came back online. "Okay, we're a street back and out of view. Let me see what I can see. … Two guards outside, six inside the main door. Looks like a small hotel, with the ball room converted. That's where most of the activity is at the moment, and Herald. Oh, he's leaving and heading to the second floor. … There is a basement, and I'm seeing charges on the support columns. Same on the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors. First, second, and third floors are for large mammals, fourth and fifth are for mediums and small, based on head room. Most of the non-load bearing walls have been knocked out to make larger open spaces, kinda dormitory like cause they kept the best. Confirming charges on load bearing walls and such on all floors, and right now, about thirty mammals present, all armed, and patrolling the floors. Only one mammal on the roof and the stairs are clear, though I just watched the guards on the fourth floor check them. All the charges appear to be wired to a trigger in the … no, three triggered. One in the basement near what I assume is an escape into the neighboring building."
Delgato grunted into the radio. "I've got a team moving into position of the exit to that."
Nick smiled. "Okay. Where else is the trigger. I'm clearly going to need to disable these explosives before you make a move, Del."
"Yeah." Grumbled the lion of the radio."
"Mike?"
"Okay. There are three triggered. Basement, the chair Herald was sitting in like a throne, and on a nearby table."
Nick nodded. "Okay. I'm preparing my jump to the roof of that building. I'm going to work my way down, disabling and collecting the explosives as I go, along with guards. Mike, I need to you guide me."
"You got it boss."
Del grumbled over the radio. "It is skills and abilities like this that I have been advocating for the inclusion of empowered in the security force, as well as other parts of our settlement."
Nick laughed quietly. "You'll get there Del. Okay Mike, let's do this. I can get to the roof easy enough. I still see only one guard up there."
"Same. Hold a second, I'll tell you when he turns… and… go!"
Nick leapt with much more strength then he usually used, if only because it was a larger distance then the other buildings, being across a main thoroughfare. He still managed to sail cleanly and silently across the fifty meters in a proper fox pounce. Landing and rolling to a stop, he popped up just as the guard turned to see him and with a quick move fired his tranq. The guard looked down at the dart then back up at Nick with confusion in his eyes before he dropped unconscious. Nick then located and cut the wires to the two charges on the roof, placing the C4 explosive in a bag he had brought with him.
Moving to the outer edge, he looked out over the nearby park and could actually see several savage mammals milling about. Shaking his head, he turned and made his way to the stairs while reloading his tranq. Moving silently as only a fox can, Nick made his way down the stairs to the landing for the fifth floor. There were four charges on that level, but also three guards. He listened carefully as Mike described the floor layout and location of the guards, very glad they had ear-pieces for the radios.
Thinking it through, Nick would be able to hand-dart two of the guards, but the third he'd have to shoot, hopefully before he noticed his comrades sleeping. Slipping through the door, Nick dropped the first guard by jabbing the dart into his neck like a hypodermic needle and catching the buffalo as he fell so that he didn't crash down and alert the others.
Moving quickly, Nick located the second guard, a large Ram, and he was suddenly glad for his strength because the ram kept his wool very grown out. If it were not for his strength, he'd never have gotten the dart to the ram's neck. Turning, the ram pulled the dart out and looked at it confused, then down at the fox smirking up at him. The last thing he saw was Nick's smirk turning into a grin as he held a finger up to his muzzle as if to say, shhh…
The third guard came around the corner as Nick was setting the ram down. The large musk-ox looked on very confused at what he was seeing, and that was all the time Nick needed. His tranq discharged, resulting in a look of deeper confusion. Pulling the dart from his neck, the ox looked at it. "ZPD issue? Shit. Then you're..." Before collapsing and being caught like the others.
This process continued as Nick worked his way down through the building. Floor by floor of the five story building, collecting the explosives as he went. The final part would be the hardest, the basement, if only because he needed to get into the basement, and he was out of darts.
Moving up two floors, Nick keyed up his mic. "Okay, Lizz, Del. I need a ruckus out front to draw away the guards from the basement entrance. It will hopefully be the last of the explosives. Then we can move in."
Lizz chuckled into the radio. "Yeah, with how skittish they are already out here, a good roar should do the job."
Nick could hear the roar from the tigress and grinned as he watched the guards that were in his way go running. He was quickly in the basement and disabled the last of the explosive that Mike had identified, as well as the trigger there, and moved some debris to block the exit to the other building.
Nick then did some additional recon of the building with Mike's direction. Finding himself slipping into what was probably once a large ballroom or event space, as the building had been a hotel before. It now seemed to be Herald's seat of power, including a literal throne.
Slippinga around the edge of the room, Nick disabled the two triggers for the explosives and watched the three officers that had helped Herald escape going over what sounded like plans for a take-over of the settlement. Based on the content of the room, the maps, weapons, etc… that was clearly what they were plotting.
Nick then keyed his radio and advised that the explosives were all accounted for. Del's mammals made their push in with Lizz as the battering ram, and quickly began to tranq and subdue the mammals in the building that Nick has simply avoided, instead of wasting a tranq dart on. A large portion of the zipties they had, got put to good use.
As Delgato and team breached the building, Herald and his remaining loyalists barricaded themselves in the ballroom, abandoning anyone not with them to their fate. This came as a surprise to Nick as they all rushed in, not noticing him in the back of the room by the large chair Herald clearly used like a throne. He had just finished cutting the wires to the detonator buttons in the room. He had found four buttons, two that Mike hadn't noticed, and figured that it was better to be safe than sorry.
Once the building was otherwise secure, they converged on the room Herald and his loyalists had barricaded themselves in, along with Nick. Nick had quickly used his claws to climb up a support column and was casually hanging from the ceiling by his claws, watching.
He also found himself struggling not to laugh out loud as he hung from the ceiling, unable to get the theme song of an old TV show out of his head. He ended up whispering it to himself. "Spiderfox. Spiderfox. Does whatever a spider can. Spins a web, any size. Catches crooks, just like flies. Look out! Here comes the Spiderfox! Is he strong? Listen, mam! He's got radioactive blood. Can he swing, from a thread? Take a look, overhead. Look out! Here comes the Spiderfox. Spiderfox, Spiderfox. Friendly neighborhood Spiderfox." Nick managed to just barely keep his snickering quieter than the yelling in the room.
There was screaming and pounding at the door, first mammals begging to be let in, then Delgato yelling through the door. "Give it up, Herald. You helped write the laws, you know where this ends."
Yelling back at the door, Herald was almost foaming he was so angry. "Don't come in! I'll blow this whole building! It's wired and will expose the entire settlement to the savages in the park!"
Delgato yelled through the door. "Surrender now, or you will be taken in. You know what the punishment is going to be. You know there is nothing you can do to change it, you wrote it. It's a foregone conclusion, no matter what you do at this point. Don't make it worse. Surrender, and I'll talk them into giving you equipment, supplies. Maybe even a few weapons."
"Screw you Pelt! This is my group. My settlement! I helped found it! I built it into what it is. I helped free us. I will not be exiled from that which I created!"
With that Delgato signaled the breach and Lizz kicked in the doors, ripping them off their hinges in the process. The violence of this caused the mammals in the room to balk, several goats fainting. Those still standing were all quickly tranq'd with the exception of Herald.
Herald glared at Delgato. "You brought this on yourself." Smashing his hoof down on the trigger. He waited, and Delgato stood up from behind cover, crossing his arms as others finished clearing the room. Lizz was chuckling and shook her head as she stood next to Delgato and looked up, hearing Nick's snickering. Herald looked at the button in confusion. "What?" He smashed the button several more times.
Nick dropped the bag of explosives down in front of Herald on the table, causing him to stumble backwards as Nick dropped down next to the bag in a crouch. "You trying to set these off, Herald? The game is up, and settlements like this do not need mammals in them that are willing to kill everyone in it just to maintain their own power."
"Fucking Pelt!" Herald pulled a lethal gun, and fired at Nick and near point blank, emptying the ten round magazine into the fox.
Nick shifted slightly with each hit, Delgato yelling. "NO!"
Nick for his part watched the gun and considered if he should dodge or not, but not knowing who was behind him, he decided to just take the hit. Five rounds hit him in the chest, two in his left shoulder, one in the right shoulder, and one hit his left knee. The last round going high and hit him in the eye. Putting his paw up, he blinked a few times. "Well, that answers a question I didn't want to even ask. My eyes are just as bullet proof as the rest of me. Stings though. Ouch." Glaring at Harald as he blinked, "Seriously Herald." Hopping off the table towards Herald, Nick took the weapon from the goat. "I'd let Del do it, but after shooting me, I think I get the honor. Herald Hooferson, you are under arrest."
"How? It's not possible. I was promised those would kill anyone, including tainted." Looking at the gun Nick now held in confusion.
Nick pulled the bullets that were flattened against his chest out and looked at them. "Yeah… Simple steel jackets. Been shot with these before, and in a larger caliber. Didn't have any more effect. Most empowered probably would have been killed. You clearly have no understanding of what the empowered are. I'm however not most empowered. Let me guess, Duke sold them to you?" Nick started to chuckle at Heralds nod when his head rocked forward suddenly as another bullet hit him from behind. Frowning he turned and looked at one of the goats that had fainted. "Really‽" The goat promptly fainted again and was restrained quickly.
After the rest were restrained, and due to the number of mammals in the building, the council convened at that building to pass judgment on them. Most of the guards were not directly associated, and so a new use of the arm bands was determined.
Those who just happened to be there would be on work details and be forced to wear the blue arm bands for six months denoting them as having been associated with the failed coup. Those who did know, but were otherwise not deeply involved were given a choice. Banishment with some minor supplies, or wearing a red arm band for five years, and they would have to live where the tainted were once relegated.
Most accepted the arm bands, with a few that were the most loyal to Herald choosing to be exiled along with him and those closest to him. What they failed to realize was that the equipment they were being provided was a week's worth of food, in MRE form, some flares, a good knife, an old sleeping bag, a single mammal tent, and an air-horn. To say that they were less than happy about that would be an understatement. Herald and his closest mammals, those directly involved in his plan, were only given the food and knife.
By the end of the day, everything was prepared, and most of the mammals in the settlement were at the main gate to witness the banishment. It was only the second to have happened, and the first where they did not get the option of returning after a few months. These mammals were never welcome back. Nick had taken photos of them and printed them out, then sent a drone with the memory card to his own settlement with the information of what they had done.
Herald made big boasts and threats, receiving jeers and boos in response. The council made sure that the proceedings and the evidence against them was an open process. There wasn't anyone that remained a member of the settlement that was against the sentence imposed.
It turned out that the C4 charges that Nick had collected were supposed to be part of the settlement's defenses. Where they were supposed to be, painted bricks were found. Not only had Herald threatened the settlement by setting up the building collapse to expose the inside of the settlement, but also by using explosives meant for the defense of the settlement. This did not sit well with the rest of the mammals of the settlement.
As they went through the content of the building, they also found hoarded food and equipment that could have been helping the settlement. Some of the food was meant for the empowered, before the change in law that Nick's arrival had facilitated. Some of the food was just taken off the top before distribution. They also found a stash of ZPD issue radios that Delgato had thought destroyed when a storehouse had collapsed, and was one of the reasons they didn't have radios. It wasn't enough to equip all the security mammals with them, but it let them have a radio at each look out point and the main gate.
The more they dug, the more clear it was that Herald had seen himself as the proper king and clearly didn't care about the settlement. Since the various hotel rooms had been all knocked in to make large dormitories, the council changed the plan. The building was going to be used for just that. Those that broke the law and had to wear an armband would live there for the duration of their sentence.
