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 11

The next morning, Nick woke early (too many years married to a rabbit that was the epitome of a morning mammal) surprisingly refreshed and even more surprising to him, he didn't have the howling void inside his heart. He felt almost... normal. Concerned that this might mean his abilities had also fled him, he took out a pan and with no effort at all, bent it, crushed it, and turned it into a very good metal likeness of Judy. Setting it on the counter, he then made himself breakfast before heading towards the cruiser.

After a short walk through the settlement, and acquiring a large cup of actual brewed coffee, to which Nick showered the vendor with love and adoration. Nick sipped his wolf sized coffee as he walked through the settlement. With a smile on his muzzle, Nick found his day to be starting off on really good footing.

He arrived at the cruiser with hot coffee in paw and a contented smile on his muzzle. Having easily beat Mike and Lizz, since he woke them up by being carefully noisy as he left. Quickly getting to work, Nick started taking stock of things, unloading a number of items to make room for whatever they might find and want to bring back from the station. He then let the guards know that he was launching a drone to do some recon, and did just that. By the time Lizz, Mike, Delgato, and the rest of the crew that was going on the mission appeared around 11am, Nick had everything planned out.

Once everyone had arrived and everything was set, Nick pulled Delgato over with Lizz and Mike to go over the plan, Delgato dragging his first and second in command over as well. Opening the laptop to show the video from the drone and the still's he took from that. "As you can see, the station appears to be untouched. Which is really good for us. But, as you noted, Del, there are a lot of savage mammals in the area."

"So how are we going to deal with that?" Delgato asked. "Those savages are why we have given up trying to raid the station. The last group we sent out came back several mammals lighter and injured."

Nick nodded. "That is where Lizz and I come in, me most specifically. I don't know why it is, but I seem to have more abilities than most empowered. If I were a betting mammal, and given that both Lizz and MIke have more than your typical empowered, it was because of the vaccines and treatments that were tested on us. Most empowered have one, maybe two abilities in rare instances. Lizz and Mike have like three or four. I have quite a number more. The difference between them and myself is the number of test treatments I underwent compared to them.

The only mammal that had as many tests done to them, and treatments applied, other than myself, was Judy. Lizz and Mike both had a handful of treatments, and I know Jeff was in one of the late test groups from the ZPD. I'm rather surprised you aren't empowered like Lizz and Mike, Del."

Delgato frowned. "I, in fact, am. It's just not something as obvious as being able to be shot point blank in the back of the head and be more irritated by it than anything.."

Nick nodded with a chuckle. "Hey, it's all good. We don't care, and you don't even need to tell us what it is."

Delgato laughed. "It is kinda stupid actually. I don't seem to be able to die. Got shot in the head, woke up a few hours later, in my bed. Was inside a building when it collapsed. I can remember feeling myself being crushed flat. Woke up in my bed, again a few hours later. I do not recommend being eaten. It is not a pleasant experience."

Lizz grimaced. "I can just bet that was not fun. So basically you have nine lives. How many do you have left?"

Delgato laughed. "I have four left, assuming that is all I got. If I got more, who knows then. Anyway... What are we going to do about those savages?"

Nick scratched his chin. "Well, getting there is going to be easy, it's the being stationary part once we get there and while we go through the station and load everything up, that is going to be the issue. We have a few flash-bangs with us. I'm going to suggest we set up a perimeter of those, after we set off one of the two elephant sized ones." Pointing to the very large device strapped to the back of the cruiser.

Delgato nodded. "I see. Yeah, set that off and it should chase off most of the savages for at least an hour or two."

Nodding, Nick turned to Lizz and Mike. "That is the hope anyway. Mike will of course be on over-watch for any new encroachment. If he signals an encroaching savage, we can use a standard medium mammal flah-bang on them. That should keep them at bay, and hopefully prevent us from having to directly engage them, or even kill them. If it comes down to it, that's what we do, but I'm sure we would rather not." Getting nods of agreement, Nick continued. "So... First target is the armory. They'll have more flash-bangs, lethals and ammo, tranq darts and the weapons to use them, along with other things we can use to keep the savages at bay while we clean it out. What I am really hoping to find is the portable, solar powered, radio repeaters. If they are there, as they were supposed to be, we should probably find three or more. We can set them up between our two settlements and provide radio communications between us. Maybe even a data channel if they are the newer models."

Delgato looked at Nick like he was crazy. "Repeaters? What?"

With a wry smirk, Nick chuckled. "Now I feel like Carrots. Don't you remember when those Bellwether nutters were blowing up cell towers and such, and how spotty radio coverage was during that? When Judy and I got ambushed in a dead zone?"

Delgato nodded. "How can I ever forget that. My gods, I still don't understand how you two managed to pull that off."

Nick shrugged. Before I met Judy, before I was just a small time hustler, I got pulled into an underground organization, and I do not mean Mr. Big. I was a member of the Helketta, and the only higher ranking member that survived. I was with them for more than ten years, and was on a courier mission when things went south and they, along with all the other such groups, were destroyed. Judy was the only student of the surviving Cheth master, who was her college roommate, Maria, and better known as Gazelle."

Delgato gaped at Nick, jaw hanging open in shock and ears splayed to the side. Shaking himself out completely, Delgato laughed. "Okay, Nick. Now that's funny."

Reaching over, Nick poked Delgato three times. "Who's joking, Del?" Giving the lion a wicked smirk. "The thrumming you are hearing is your own heartbeat. The only other sound you will notice you can hear is my voice. This is used for interrogation, as with a small change to this I can grant you the ability to speak. However, this can also be used to kill, and it is a rather nasty way to do it. Though I would have to leave you like this for several hours for it to cause you any actual harm." Poking Delgato again twice. "Now, you were saying?"

Taking a long, deep breath, Delgato laughed nervously. "Okay… Now I understand why you and your bunny were so terrifying in the sparring ring." Shaking his head and giving Nick a wary look. "So... we get there, set off the elephant sized flash-bang, then hit the armory first. Mike will notify us as soon as any savages or others get too close, at which point we can hopefully use another flash-bang taken from the armory to drive them off. We hopefully locate the radio repeaters so we can set up communications between our settlements, and others in time I'm sure. If there are viable cruisers in the garage, we're going to take them and as much of the fuel as we can, etc… Hopefully we can clean this place out fully."

Nick nodded. "That is the idea. I see you have a dozen mammals, that should be just enough to do what we need. We're just going to pack everything out we can, process it after we get back to safety here. Hell, I kinda hope they have a TUSK van for you."

Delgato nodded. "That would be nice. Wouldn't it be awesome if they had a TUSK car."

Lizz nodded. "We have acquired two. Left behind at banks that were being robbed and under stand-offs right as things fell apart. We use them for patrols outside the borders."

Scratching his chin with a flick of his ears, Delgato smiled. "This might just work. Let's mount up. You're leading, Nick?"

Nick shook his head. "Nope. We're here for support, but you're in command of this operation. So, commander, you want us on point or pulling up the rear?"

Thinking for a moment, his ears twitching and tail tip swishing for a moment, Delgato smiled. "I want you on point with Mike and Lizz bringing up the rear guard. Mike, you're over-watch as suggested. We shouldn't get too much hassle from the savages until we are stopped for a few minutes, at which point they're likely to get curious and then attack if they're a predator and see us as an easy meal. Nick, I assume you already have a plan to deliver and set-off the flash-bang quickly?" Seeing Nicks' nod, Delgato continued. "Okay, then let's move out." Turning to the other mammals. "Okay everyone. Here's how this goes. McHorn, you are with Nick on Point."

McHorn shook his big head. "Why are you putting the tiny fox on point? What's he going to do, bark at them?"

Delgato as Nick shook his head and they both laughed, Delgato continuing. "Because if you hit him, it is you that would get hurt. Remember, Nick is empowered. Has anyone seen Ben?"

Coming to a screeching halt, Ben smiles and waves. "Sorry I'm late. I was moving and lost track of time. Maybe I can find a working watch."

With a roll of his eyes and shake of his head, Delgato continued. "Ben, you're in the middle. You're our wrecking ball. A savage gets too close and looks intent on making a move, you're going to knock them back."

With a glowing grin and salute, Ben gives a happy hop. "Aye aye, Captain!"

Everyone gets a chuckle and Delgato lays out the rest of the caravan of six vehicles. Nick is walking along but freezes as he stops next to a wolf sized van and stares at it. The paint severely faded, but there was no way he could not recognize the remains of the mural on the side. Nick leapt up to the driver's window that was open, grasping the edge and shoving his head inside. Upon seeing the diminutive mammal inside, he crawled in through the driver's side window with a happy laugh as he tackled the mammal inside. "FIN!"

A loud burst of very colorful language, in a very deep voice, spewed forth from the open window. "Who the‽ What‽ Get off me or I'll bite your face off!"

"Fin! Buddy! Brother! My little mam! Pappa is so happy to see you!"

A slightly muffled, though clearly shocked reply. "Nick? Is that you mam? Let up, you're crushing me."

"Sorry. Sorry. Oh gods, I am so glad to see you."

"Geez, Nick. What's up with you? You act like you haven't seen your bunny in months…" Fin froze as he watched Nick's face shift. "Oh shit, bro. How long?"

Nick's shoulders dropped and his ears folded back as he dropped onto the floor of the van. "Since everything started. We were following separate leads the day everything fell apart."

"Good gods! How are you still alive‽"

Nick looked down at his paws. "Wish I knew, buddy. Wish I knew. I know Judy would not want me to give up, so maybe it's that. The desire to not disappoint her, and the fact that I don't actually know if she's gone or not. Then again, over the last few days I've caught wind of her. She marked something, and within the past few weeks. She left me a message, and if she was aware enough to mark a thing, an object, then she isn't savage and was alive within the past three weeks. At the very least, I cannot give in until I know one way or the other."

Fin nodded, looking up at Nick with a sad smile. "So you're holding out. If you find her body, it's going to kill you, literally. You know that, right? I mean, you might literally drop dead right there."

Nick nodded and looked down, his ears folding to the point of disappearing. "I do, but I also know that if there is any mammal that could survive this nightmare, it's Judy."

Fin smiled warmly. "Now that is a true statement. There was nothing normal about that bunny, including her ability to somehow tolerate, and control, you." Fin chuckled after a moment's silence between the two. "So you are the fox from the other settlement that I have been hearing about." Fin laughed and slapped Nick on the shoulder. "It's good to see you, and I mean it." His face went hard with a snarl. "But… So help me, Nick… You pull that crap again, and I will bite your face off."

With a wide grin, Nick snatched the diminutive fox back into a hug. "I love you too, buddy."

Growling from inside the hug. "Damn it, Nick. Let go."

Delgato stuck his head into the van. "Hey, we ready to go, or what? … Whoa! He let you hug him?"

A deep growl came from Fin as his muffled voice came from Nick's chest. "Didn't gimme a choice. Stupid strong for some reason. Hung around that damn rabbit too long."

Laughing, Nick let Fin go and grinned with his ears perked and tail wagging happily. "I'm just happy to see that yet more people I knew, and missed, have made it through. Without Carrots, the friends I made have been one of the crutches that have helped me keep going. Knowing more made it, like Fin, make all the difference." Taking a deep breath and a happy chuckle in his throat, Nick sighed. "Yeah, let's get going, that way we can get back and then you and I." Pointing at Fin. "Are going to get drunk, or at least try to."

Fin grinned. "Now that sounds like a plan. You want to take your chair?"

Nick shook his head. "Nope. I'm on point for this, with McHorn."

Fin looked at Nick like he was crazy. "Bro, what would you put yourself out there like that?"

Delgato laughed from the window. "He's basically bullet proof, so he gets the lead point."

Fin laughed. "Figures you'd end up tainted, or empowered, or whatever we're calling it now. I am too, and I guess I have you to thank for no longer having to wear those blasted arm bands. My bats are now extra dangerous."

Nick laughed. "That sounds right." Turning to Delgato. "Let's get moving." A moment later Nick was standing next to McHorn. "Ready to do this, Eric?"

Looking down at the fox, Eric laughed. "Oh boy. You're eager to get out there and face some savages?"

Nick shrugged as the deep laugh of Fin came from his van. "I've not met anything that can hurt me yet. Not that I'm going to just stand there and take it. Besides, the sooner we get this done, the sooner I can find what Carrots left for me."

Delgato ordered them forward, and McHorn and Nick led the way out. McHorn chuckling. "What did she leave for you then?"

Nick shrugged as they walked. "I don't know yet. What I do know is that she left me something, she marked it, and that is something we had discussed, jokingly at the time, that we would do if the world ended and we got separated." Nick looked to the side towards the park as they turned the corner, lost in thought for a long moment. "I have to find her Eric, but the mark on whatever she left is only a few weeks, three at most, old. So she was alive and aware enough to mark an object as a message for me three weeks ago. That's more hope than I have had since this shit started."

Eric nodded with a smile. "That's great, Nick. You gotta find your bunny. What's left of the city needs her."

Nick chuckled darkly. "If I'm being honest, Eric. I couldn't give two farts in a stiff breeze about the city, as long as I get her back. But… If that is what she wants to do, then you know damn well I'll follow that rabbit into the darkest pits of hell."

With a shake of his head, Eric laughed. "We all know that all too well, Nick. It was clear to most of us from that day in the museum, and since. She suggested you train for K9 with her as your handler, you did just that and changed the game because of her ears. ZPD was scrambling to recruit other rabbits, fennec foxes, bats, and any other mammal with hearing like hers. Still, not sure how, but you two were never bested, even by a bat and fox team. Never understood how Judy could out-hear a bat."

Nick laughed. "That's an easy one. A bat's hearing is different. It's attuned to their echolocation. Sure, it's sensitive, and with training they can even see inside some things. But, for what they needed to hear as part of that team, they're about as good as you are."

Eric laughed in response. "No shit? I wouldn't have even thought about that."

"And neither did the recruiters. That said, Dan was totally indispensable once he learned to echo the insides of things. He and many other bats became integral to the bomb squad."

"Crazy. You're saying a bat can see inside things? That's empowered type stuff."

Shaking his head, Nick chuckled. "Not really. Bats use sound. High pitched clicks and chirps, like sonar, but in the air. They then listen for the echos and like technological sonar, they can interpret the echos to essentially see inside things. There was even a push to train some bats to use it to see inside mammals for medical stuff. But the world kinda came to an end before that got too far. Though my settlement has three bats that were part of the testing and are training two others. They've really helped by being sort of a biological MRI. Saved several lives because they can describe to the surgeon what's going on."

Eric looked down at Nick with a shocked look. "That's amazing. I sure hope we can convince at least one of them to come out here. We could really use such skills."

"They're a family, but if you can convince some of the bats that are still around to join your settlement, I'm sure they'd be happy to train them."

Eric and Nick continued making small talk as they walked, leading the convoy of vehicles, discussing the things they had seen since the event, as Eric called it. It took them just over an hour and a half to make their way to the front of the local station. As they progressed, they were watched by savages, but none approached until they were stopped at the station.

Using his speed and strength, Nick carried the Elephant sized flash-bang to a safe distance from their caravan, everyone taking cover behind the vehicles. He then pulled the pin, and using his speed again, was behind the cover of Fin's van well before it went off.

Because of the size, it left a small crater in the ground. Within a few moments of the flash-bang going off, Mike reported that the savages in the area had all bugged out, fast, as expected. After several minutes of watching, he declared things clear and work got started.

As proposed, once they were inside, the first target was the armory, which they quickly emptied out. From there they collected every computer, and other equipment they could get their paws on. They had a team of four pulling cable, while two more were ripping up walls and pulling out piping and electrical cables. One mammal's job was to collect every ream of paper, and the printers associated with it. While another, a former IT person, with the help of Eric, broke into the IT room and collected all the servers and other network equipment and cabling.

Nick and Delgato located the garage, where they found four cruisers, a TUSK van as they hoped, and an armored vehicle. They also found five of the repeaters Nick was hoping to find. As they were working on getting the garage doors open, Mike reported that some savages were coming back into the area. This was quickly dealt with by Nick and Ben, using their speed to deploy a few regular flash-bangs to drive off the over-curious savage mammals."

In total it took them eight hours to work over the station and strip it of just about everything valuable, including the solar panels and equipment on the roof. During that time, Nick and Ben needed to deploy a total of fifteen flash-bangs to dissuade savages.

With the help of Lizz's claws, they were able to slice through first the walls, and then the pipes and cables into manageable sections helped speed the process. Mike helped by directing them to just where the stuff they were after was.

At the end, they had every vehicle, including the TUSK van and cruisers loaded as full as they could fill them and had ended up leaving a very large pile of things in the garage. This was allowed because the garage was a secured space and the team could return, open the garage and park inside to load up, safe from any local savages.

Thanks to the flash-bangs, the trip back was savage free and they returned to the settlement as conquering heroes. With the vehicles, equipment, fuel, and other items, the settlement would be able to expand significantly. The repeaters which allowed them to make a radio and data connection between Otterdam and Haymarket and Vole, where Nick, Lizz, and Mike were from, once set up.

Over the next day, they unpacked everything, inventoried it, and stored things like the fuel. In the collected stuff they found four ZPD recon drones which Lizz quickly helped them get charged up and programmed into recon patterns to patrol the current border of the settlement and surrounding area. They also could be used to survey where the settlement would seek to expand its borders.

The council, after deliberation, decided that the initial expansion was to build and expand towards the dead-zone. It provided a secure, safe corridor between the two settlements, once they had both grown to the point of connecting to it. Most of the buildings that were were not usable due to damage from the fallen skyscraper, but a few were, and the rest would be knocked down and the land reclaimed and farmed. The materials used to supplement and reinforce the walls of the settlement. They had a Home Deerpot full of supplies they could use, once they had land to work.

Three long, especially long for Nick, days after the raid on the ZPD station house, Nick, Lizz, and Mike were ready to leave. The council announced that they were being made official members of the Otterdamn settlement, and their mission as assigned by the Haymarket and Vole settlement was now also their mission as members of the Otterdamn settlement. As Nick laid down in what was now officially his apartment in the Grand Pangolin Arms that last night, his dreams were grey and rabbit scented.

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