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 14
Nick came back to himself to find they were a good ten blocks farther along, brought out of his memories as the cruizer came to an abrupt stop, a very distinct van pulling in front of them from an ally.
Nick looked up and frowned. "What the? What the hell is Fin doing?" Opening the door and hopping out of the cruiser, Nick walked towards the van, tail flicking irritatedly. "Fin! What the hell, mam? What are you doing?"
Climbing up onto the roof of the van through a hatch, Fin pointed one of his bats at Nick. "I could ask you the same thing, Red. You're going after your bunny, and probably planning on trying to ditch your friends."
Nick's ears folded back. "I was. Not any more. They made it clear that they won't let me bail. So what? You planning on coming too?"
"Not planning. Doing. You think I haven't picked up her scent? My nose was never as good as yours, but she wasn't subtle about marking whatever it was, either. Given the direction, I expect it is one of your caches."
Nodding, Nick stepped forward. "Yes, that is my assumption. Don't you have responsibilities to Otterdamn?"
Fin's tail flicked angrily. "None that trump my responsibilities to you and Bunny Cop. So I'm coming. It isn't as if Otterdamn has been all that welcoming. Others, like Benji and Jeff had others outside the empowered, the tainted, or whatever, who supported them. Amy and I only had each other. Sure, things might be a bit better thanks to you, but it's going to take them time."
"Amy?"
A chocolate brown and white rabbit appeared at the driver's window. "Hi Nick!"
Nick stared for a moment in shock. "AMY‽ You're here? What?"
Amy grinned at Nick. "Yeah. After Clair got sick while you were in the academy, I was in town helping Finny with some stuff and we kind of fell into each other."
Fin's ears folded back, flat. "Yeah. You weren't around, and Clair was dying. We both knew it. She even told me not to hurt myself and to let in another mammal. That if it were Amy, she would be happy for me, because I didn't deserve to be alone. I guess she talked to Amy without me knowing and well… We started seeing each other a few months after Clair passed. I didn't expect anything. Didn't want anything, and oh gods I was hurting so much, except when I was with Amy."
Nick chuckled. "I'm happy for you both. Still, you are not coming with. I do not know what is out there, and if I could ditch Lizz and MIke for their own good, I would."
Fin frowned and growled. "Did you forget, Red. You are not the only empowered here." With a swing of his bat, a bolt of blue energy struck the road in front of Nick and created a small explosion and spray of assfault. "Besides. Amy has been stuck here with me and hasn't been able to check up on her home. She deserves to go and find out how her family fared. As my mate. Yeah, I said it. Deal with it. As my mate, I am not letting her go alone. So are you going to let us join you, or we will just go by ourselves."
Nick growled and took a step forward. "Fin. It isn't like that!"
Swinging his bat again, another bolt heading towards Nick. Nick reached out his paw and grabbed the bolt of energy, looking at it in surprise. "Uhm…"
Fin's jaw fell open seeing that. "Nick?"
Looking between Fin and the energy bold crackling in his paw, Nick pointed it towards a nearby building and released it. The bolt quickly struck said building with another small explosion. "Whoa. That's new."
Seeing that Nick wasn't looking, Fin swung again, the bolt hitting Nick square in the chest and deflecting off. "Bloody hell! You're the first thing my bolts ain't hurt."
"Not the first thing that should have hurt me and didn't." Nick grumbled and glared back at the cruiser and it's occupants. "Fine! You bringing the van?"
Amy spoke up. "Yep! I've worked on it myself. Try denting the fender."
Shrugging, Nick walked up and shoved against the front fender, and just pushed the van in its entirety. "Okay…" He then gave it a good punch and laughed as he caught Fin, who had the van slip out from under him. "Sorry."
"Da'hell Red?" They both looked at the minor dent. "Babe. He dented my van!"
Amy laughed and hopped out, passing her hands over the dent, which vanished with a popping sound. "You know I wouldn't leave it like that. Just wanted to see if Nick could hurt it. I'll take a look at the cruiser for you tonight, but I'm sure I can make some improvements. I can also tell some of a mammal's abilities, and with actual clarity of what they can do usually. Not that I told anyone at Otterdamn. You have a whole host of abilities there, Nick. So much I am having a hard time telling them apart, or what they are."
"Don't I know it. Okay. Let's go. We're leading, you guys follow." Turning to the cruiser. "Mike, break out one of the radios so we can keep in touch with Fin and Amy."
Mike hopped out and hurried around to the back. "On it, boss."
Five minutes later, the two vehicles were on their way. Nick riding with Fin and Amy to catch up with both of them. Slightly miffed that Fin had not told him about Amy, especially once Amy showed off her claiming scar. Amy had to take over driving while Nick smothered, and abused, the smaller fox in congratulations and recriminations for not telling him.
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Four hours later, the two vehicles came to a stop, the mammals standing at the edge of a precipice where the road once arched over it and into the Rainforest district, but no longer. The road, and the bridge that supported it, had collapsed.
Lizz leaned out slightly, looking down. "How far down is it?"
Nick chuckled. "At least three hundred meters in this location. This is part of the original, natural canyon and river system."
"So now what?"
Nick pointed. "The cache is over there." They all followed his point to a tree at least a hundred meters out where the road and bridge once connected. It still had the remains of the section of road that wrapped around both sides of the artificial tree.
Mike chuckled. "Well, that clearly ain't happening."
Fin looked up at his friend. "Sorry, Nick."
Nick shrugged. "Yeah, I'm not trying for it today. It's late. Let's make camp. I'll make the leap tomorrow. We have enough rope." Turning he walked back towards the cruiser as he thought to himself. Of course, that isn't the cache she marked. Not really. That's what she marked to get me in the right area, but throw off anyone else. With that thought, Nick glanced towards the small park they were next to. What she was really pointing me to is the small one. Still, the large one should have plenty of stuff we can use. Tomorrow will tell. Tonight is when I will find out what her message is. Damn I miss you, Fluff. Please be okay.
Fin watched Nick walk away and shook his head. He knew the marked cache wasn't where the message was, at least not the real one, but Nick also wouldn't share that. "Well, let's do as he says. I'm hungry."
Amy nodded. "I'll break out the grill."
Lizz smiled. "You have a grill? Having you two along just became worth it."
Fin chuckled. "Thanks, stripes. I've known Red since we were both kits. Trust me, he is not telling us everything. That, and Bunny cop was just as smart and slick as he ever was. There will be something there." Pointing to the tree. "But that is not everything here. Those two always have something going on. Always some angle. As for the grill, I was living out of this van long before everything went to hell in a hand-basket."
Mike nodded. "Don't we know it. Well, let's set up camp as he suggested."
"Wasn't a suggestion! Y'all following me, then you're taking orders. Yes, even you, Fin. Now snap to it!" Came Nick's voice from the top of a building next to the park. "I'll keep watch while you take care of that."
The rest of the mammals chuckled, but got to work. They had a large tent set up in the nearby grass of the park, along with a fire going a few minutes later. With the grill from Fin and Amy warming up to cook some food a few minutes after that.
Fin and Amy would be sleeping in the van, Lizz and Mike in the tent, and Nick in the cruiser. After dinner, they retired, with Nick taking first watch.
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The next morning, Fin went to wake up Nick and found the cruiser empty. "Damn it, where is that fox?" Looking to Lizz and MIke as they stoked the fire to make breakfast. "Please tell me he hasn't tried to ditch us."
Mike shook his head and pointed towards the park. "He's in the park sitting on a bench. Not sure what he is doing, but there is a container in front of him that I'm not sure where he got it. I assume there was another cache."
Fin nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. No doubt the actual target. The other one just gets him in the right area and throws mammals off that don't know any better. Only he and cotton tail would know where the others in the area are. She was too smart to mark the actual message."
Lizz nodded. "That makes sense. They both seem too smart to keep all their eggs in one spot."
Fin let out a barked laugh. "That is the truth and then some. Those two are both scary smart in their own ways. When they work off each other, it's downright terrifying."
Mike looked off towards where Nick was. "You ever see them do that talking without speaking thing? Freaky as hell. Watched them do that to a suspect once. Mammal didn't know what hit them, had him so off balance, he literally told them everything just to get them to stop. Confessed to shoplifting a candy bar when he was ten, along with everything that they wanted to know about."
Fin shook his head. "Not in that context, but I have seen them do it. Damn freaky, like you said. Got something to do with all that crazy assassin training they both did. Yeah, I know about it. Taught me a few things. It's why I hit so hard, despite my size. Those two though... Always something different about them."
Amy nodded as she leaned against Fin. "Yeah. Judy has always been different. Always pushing herself farther, harder, faster, and eating meat since she was a teen." Seeing the looks from the others. "I'm not kidding. She was friends with a bunch of predators in Bunnyburrow. I remember mom and dad talking once after they had taken Judy to a doctors appointment. She had gotten hurt, and the doctor wanted them to feed her more protein. Even suggested predator protein bars, because it was what she needed to heal faster. They bought several cases of them. Judy ate them and found that she was suddenly able to go beyond the plateau of strength and speed she had hit when she hurt herself. So she started eating them with every meal. Drove mom and dad nuts, so she started getting them from her predator friends. She was a strong as any buck at that point, after she started eating the protein, she got stronger."
Fin chuckled. "Yeah. Red has something similar. Red foxes are omnivores, but for a while there, he didn't have much choice because of who he was hanging around. Especially while he was training with the assassin group. He doesn't talk about it, but they did things that changed him. We had been out of contact for some time when he got pulled into that group. He still won't tell me how it happened. I think it was a con gone bad, but when he looked me up again, after all of it he was different. Stronger. Faster. He could vanish right in front of you, and I tell you, that freaks mammals out. Hell, Judy was the only one I have ever seen that could keep up with him."
Lizz nodded in return and put the pot on the fire. "Yeah. We all learned that the hard way once we stopped thinking of her as just a token bunny and started paying attention. It also became very clear that there is nothing normal about either that fox or rabbit. They do things no other rabbit or fox would even think about doing, let alone be capable of. You just don't have bull elephants complaining about police brutality from a little fox and rabbit a fraction of their size, yet it happened more than once with those two. I watched Jam-Cam footage of Judy pulling a sweep kick to a rhino's knee that took the whole leg out from under the mammal. Saw the bruise on the back of his leg. I couldn't have hit him hard enough to bruise him."
Nick appeared next to them, a large, to him, box under his arm. "I remember that take down. As we all know, you don't call Judy cute, not without paying a price. I mean, I get to, but I am her husband. Also, it is as I expected." Looking to Amy. "We're going home."
Amy nodded. "Yeah. If she wasn't with you, and survived this nightmare, that is where she would go."
Nick nodded. "Yep. So after breakfast, we'll collect the items over there." Indicating the actually marked cache. "Then we will head out. Our best bet, I think, will be to follow the tracks. That is the route Judy took, and she is most definitely empowered."
Fin nodded and pointed his bat at Nick. "Okay, Red. We're with you."
"I know you are. So lets eat and then I'll jump the gap with a rope and pully."
They had breakfast of some cured sausage and eggs from Otterdam, and flat bread from Haymarket. Chatting about nothing, reminiscing about the before, and just enjoying the company of others.
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Around midnight that previous night.
Fin exited the van and closed the door as gently as he could. Turning, he made his way over to their fire and stoked it. Looking around, he couldn't see Nick, but knew he had to be around nearby. "Okay, Red. Where you hiding?" Nick stepped up on the other side of the fire, causing Fin to Jump back, his fists glowing in response to the start. "Damn it! Where the hell did you come from? I cannot hear you move, and that's weird."
Nick shrugged. "Don't be so jumpy. I have always been quiet when I wanted to be. Even invisible to your head-sails."
"Maybe." Fin grumbled and glared at Nick. "Maybe. Still, you made some noise, but you were not making any at all."
Giving a smirk and swish of his tail, Nick turned back towards the way he had come. "Nothing to report. No savages in any direction, save that way." Pointing into the Rainforrest district. "For at least a mile or two, and none seem all that active. Keep those sails working and you should have plenty of warning."
Shaking his head, Fin sighed. "You're going for the actual message, right?"
Nick didn't turn around. "Yeah. Don't worry. I won't leave you guys. I promised, and you are all correct. Judy was your friend too. You deserve the chance to find out what happened. Still. The message is for me. If there is stuff for you, I'll share it."
Fin waived his paw at Nick. "Just go. Find out where your bunny is, even if we both know already. Just go confirm it. We'll talk over breakfast."
"Thanks Fin." With that, Nick walked away just as silent as he had arrived, and Fin shook his head, straining to hear the slightest sound and getting nothing. Turning his attention to the fire, Fin stoked it a bit more, added a few logs, and then started walking a patrol of their camp, Lucille in paw. An aluminum bat, sized for someone Nick's size, and wrapped in razor wire that was welded to the business end, with a few spikes added for good measure.
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Nick walked through the small park and didn't bother to hide his destination. It was the only cache in this area, other than the one Judy actually marked, so there was no point in hiding it. Especially as the others knew what they were there for. Near the center of the park was an old oak that was still hanging on to life, though that was not his destination. Following the walking path towards the north of the park, Nick stopped at a bench behind which was a large rock.
Looking it over, Nick grinned. It had clearly not been disturbed since Judy had left her message. He could see her mark on it, a pattern scratched in the surface, letting him know she had accessed it since they had last been there together to update it, at about that time of night, even.
Nick found the four small stones seemingly embedded in the larger stone. Pressing them in sequence, he entered the combination and then lifted the stone up, which was actually carefully formed and textured concrete, to reveal a hollow. The stone lid to the hollow was on a hydraulic hinge that assisted in opening, or keeping it closed.
Inside Nick pulled the large, to him, foot locker out, then closed the stone. He dragged the locker around in front of the bench which effectively hid the rock, and anything a mammal might do behind that bench. Opening the three combo locks, he opened the air-tight locker and was hit by her scent almost as strong as if she were there next to him.
On the top was a note. "Nick. I know you are the one reading this, because no one else knows this is here. Listen to the message and know I love you more than life, but there are things I must do, and I know you will follow me eventually." Nick felt tears sting his eyes upon seeing her handwriting, his knees weak from her scent.
Beneath the note was a micro-cassette recorder, and a set of batteries. Nick quickly put the batteries in the unit, hooked up the headphones from the pouch in the lid, and listened. Tears flowed unbidden from his eyes as Judy's bubbly voice came into his ears.
"Hey Slick. I really hope it hasn't been too long since we last saw each other that you are listening to this. I know it has been a few weeks already. It took me that long to get back out of the damn hole I fell in thanks to being chased by mammals gone savage. If I had known that they couldn't hurt me, I wouldn't have ran. Nothing like a thousand meter fall to let you know that you cannot be hurt, at least not easily.
I have powers, Nick. Like actual, honest to carrots, super powers. It is crazy. I'm strong, like crazy, stupid, strong. And fast. Oh Nick, I'm so fast. Since I know you will not stop looking for me, I'm leaving you this message and taking my items out of this cache. I'm going to put a good, solid, mark on the nearby weapon cache. Something that will bring you here. I know you will find this, based on that.
I did consider looking for you, I really did. I even went back to the precinct. That was heartbreaking. Seeing so many of our friends in that state. Others who were killed, and no way to know if they were savage or not when it happened. Like what happened with Antlerton. He went savage while we were driving and we crashed. I think I killed him when I kicked him. Didn't mean to, but he was crazy, thrashing around, and trying to attack me, the cruiser, etc... The fact that he broke an arm when he hit me didn't register until later. I feel rather bad about that, he was a good cop. But seeing the state of the world, there are not many that didn't succumb to the virus.
You know how important my family is, and you are part of my family too. I thought about it a lot, and I knew you were out there somewhere in the city. I knew, in my heart of hearts, that you were still okay, and that you would come looking for me. I also know that eventually, you will either find this, or just make your way out to the burrow in search of me. It's like we talked about so many times. I'm sure you checked multiple rally points and meet up locations, just like I did. But in a world ending situation like this, we both know that the burrow is the real and ultimate rally point. I will wait for you there. The gods know we have enough equipment and such stashed there in the old burrow, unbeknownst to my parents and siblings, and in a situation like this, they're going to need all that.
So that is where I went. And if I'm being honest. There is a terror in my heart that you are out there, but savage yourself, and that, I think, would break me. I love you Nick. I love you more than I can express, but the city is huge and is in a really bad way. So many dead, so many more who are just beasts now. So few that retained their minds. There is a group of them that lives in the remains of the district here. I helped them secure it with several of our stashes. You should meet them before you follow me. They're good mammals, and will be expecting you.
Lastly. I did find the scientist, but he was already dead. He had been, as we hoped, doing research on how to reverse the effects of the virus. All his work is on the laptop here in the case. I have kept a copy of it for myself as well and taken it with me. I don't understand all of it, but I don't think it can be reversed, at least not without some new virus. From what I could make out, the virus targeted mammals at a genetic level, and specifically the chromosomes that make us intelligent and not just mindless beasts.
History tells us that about fifty thousand years ago, there was a great cataclysm. Multiple asteroids hit the planet and a lot of life died. The mammals that survived, along with a few reptiles and birds, started to change after that. From what is in the scientists' data, and what we know from testing of the bones of animals from before that impact, all mammals were different, not just in form, but their genetics didn't match unless they were closely related, like canines, felines, rodents, etc… They had different numbers of chromosomes in most cases.
Yet, after that impact, the survivors changed and a few thousand years after that, those animals were starting to change physically and mentally. Tool usage, higher thinking, language, all those sorts of things started to appear. Testing has shown that by five thousand years after the impact, the animals all had the same number of chromosomes, and they were similar enough to almost be related species, even though we know they are not. How that is possible had scientists speculating, with a few that had the most support. Those most logical ideas boiled down to thinking that the asteroids, or at least one of them, had some kind of virus or alien organism that changed the survivors over time, turning them into what we are today.
The scientist that caused all this points to several genetic structures that only exist in modern animals that are intelligent, and were not present in those that were before the impact. It was those structures that he targeted with his virus. He also admits in his own writings that he was less than careful about how he built the virus, and his targeting of just predators was based on a certain protein sequence present in those that are able to process meat. He hypothesized in his writings that if there were mammals that didn't have that very specific sequence, such as those with mixed pred/prey heritage, they would be unaffected.
He also said that, because the idiots that commissioned him to create the virus infected themselves as carriers, against his express advice, they caused a mutation that changed the action of the virus. Unfortunately, though he himself survived, he died before he could figure out exactly how it changed.
So that leaves things up in the air. Then again, I doubt most of those that are savage now would want to switch back, if given the choice, after what they have probably done. Maybe it will be useful in the future to help scientists figure out what happened and build a vaccine or something to ensure no one else ever ends up like that.
Anyway… I miss you Nick. So much. I've cried myself to sleep so many times worried about you, wondering where you are, if you are okay. I think I have cried myself out and pray to any god willing to listen that you find this, and that you find me in Bunnyburrow. Find me, Nick. I love you so much.
Nick wiped away tears from his eyes with a long shaky breath. "Oh Carrots. I'm coming. I will see you soon. But first I need to meet this group you helped secure, and send this data to the scientists in my settlement. Maybe they can do something with it. I need to send my letter to the council anyway."
Nick sat there, listening to the recording a good dozen times, just so he could hear her voice and the happy, hopeful tone she had through most of it. Reaching out with his mind to where her presence used to be, he pushed a thought to her. "I'm coming, Carrots. I'll be there soon."
