Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia or any of its characters, they all belong to Disney.

Caught the Wind

Chapter 4

Catherine looked at Animals sitting around her in the armored SUV as they returned to City Hall from the World Council meeting, being hosted this year by the city of Zootopia. Her bodyguards had caused quite a stir – the world's largest rabbit, a dragon, and two Smilodons. She smiled, remembering the surprised expressions on many of the delegates' faces. Catherine hoped that the other four days would be just as interesting and soon wished she hadn't.

Jill backed into the garage of a modest looking house in Foxtown. The vixen smiled and thought sometimes looks can be deceiving. Saber opened the door and she followed him out. Then the others fell in around her. Jill and Rebecca on either side of her and Amanda, bringing up the rear. When Saber opened the kitchen door the smells of dinner reached her sensitive nose and she inhaled deeply. Red greeted them with a smile, noticing the expression on the other vixen's face.

"I used your recipe, but I made a few small changes," she said and handed Catherine a sipping bowl.

She tasted the sauce and raised an eyebrow.

"Wine and a bit more oregano," Catherine said and licked the bowl clean. "Very good."

Red smiled and then looked at Jill.

"We went to the store," she said, indicating the Skunks, "and bought a few more ingredients and made a few extra." She indicated the six pans of lasagna, five loaves of bread, and several dozen breadsticks. "Now we won't have to cook so quite much when we get home."

"Good," the Rabbit said. "I got the vegetables and salad ready this morning." She looked at her watch. "They wouldn't be off shift for another hour and a half. So we'd better get goin'."

They boxed up the food and took it out to Ben's car.

"We'll see you in the morning at 8am sharp," Jill said and waved at the dragon and two Smilodons. "Remember we gotta be there by 9:30. Catherine, do you need to go by your office before or afterwards?"

"Not in the morning and I'll let you know an hour before we leave about afterwards," she said and turned to the other vixen. "Thanks for making supper."

"No problem," Red said and winked.


Red pulled up at Ben's house and they found Mike and Rose working on a second SUV.

"They delivered it this morning a little while after you all left," Mike said as he finished putting the driver's door back together. "I got the bulletproof glass and armor installed in all the doors. I should have the armor welded on underneath and the front and rear window replaced by suppertime tomorrow and then it'll be ready to use be the next day. The airless tires came in today too and they work as advertised. I'll need to put them on the other one." He tapped one of them with a foot and then he sniffed the air. "Is that supper?"

"Yes," Jill said and shifted the box, "but they won't be back for another for another thirty minutes. So it'll be in about an hour or so."

"Might as well get started on the windows then," he said and started toward his toolbox. "Give me a hand Red?"

The vixen looked a Jill.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Be there in a sec," Red said and handed the box to the female Cheetah.

"I guess I'll give you a hand with dinner," Rose said as the vixen walked into the garage. "Interesting day?"

"Yes."


She heard the car doors shut and met her Cheetah with a kiss.

"Ah young love," Nick said and took his bunny into his arms.

The Rabbit in question put a finger to his lips.

"Just remember we're not married yet!"

"I remember that each and every night," he said and winked.

Jill and Ben laughed and Judy's ears turned red. Rose walked into a living room and observed the tableau. Then she smiled.

"So what'd I miss?

Jill and Ben laughed harder and Nick joined them. Judy's ears became a bit redder and then she growled and stomped off toward the stairs. The Cheetah looked, following her progress, and wondered what the Fox had done this time. Then she looked back at him and wondered where he's going to be sleeping that night and grinned.


Everyone loved the lasagna, including Judy who had special vegetarian version without carrots, of course.

Rose had had several the vegetables ready which were quickly warmed in the microwave. Rose helped her with the salad while the others set the table. By the end of the meal Rose noted that Judy seemed to have forgotten about what had happened earlier. Now she was fairly sure where Nick would be sleeping that night.

Afterwards everyone helped clear the table and Ben and Jill hand washed the dishes even though there was a dishwasher. The others helped dry them. Then Ben, Jill, Nick, and Judy went to the game room and the rest decided to watch a movie. Picking out the movie was another story.

"So how was your first day?" Nick asked as they watched Ben and Judy compete.

"Let's just say we drew a quite lot of attention," Jill said and nodded.

"What'd mom think?"

"Well I think she liked that we stirred things up a bit."

"That sounds like Catherine all right," he said and the Rabbit chuckled. "I tell you a secret." The Rabbit raised an eyebrow. "Judy and I'll be there tomorrow."

"You weren't there today."

"We had court."

"Anything interesting?

"Traffic court."

"Oh."

"Yea oh," he said sarcastically. "Judy had to keep poking me to stay awake."

Jill chuckled.

"Police work can be exciting at times," she said and he grunted.

"Long periods of sheer boredom punctuated by short moments of sheer terror."

"Been there, done that," she said and the Fox nodded knowingly. "So how'd you get assigned there tomorrow?"

"My continuing streak of good luck, I suppose."

"Or just Bogo's wonderful sense of humor," Judy said and chuckled, still playing the game.

"Right," Nick said, stretching out the word.

"Oh and I'm going to be there too," Ben said.

The Rabbit looked at her Cheetah and he only shrugged, but still concentrating on the game.


They arrived at Catherine's house at 8am on the dot. Nick, Judy, and Ben had gone to the conference center earlier for a security meeting and walk through.

"Everyone'll be going today," Jill announced. "Except Mike and Rose of course, but they'll be with us tomorrow."

"And we'll keep an eye on the house," Jesse said and the other two Skunks nodded. Everyone looked at the three large shotguns leaning against the couch. Saber picked up one of them, pumped it, and then caught the expended brass ten gauge shotgun shell. "Seen one of those before?"

He looked at her and smiled and she took an unconscious step back. Her sisters giggled.

"Yes," he said and smiled again.


They stopped at the security entrance and everyone stepped out and showed their IDs and conference badges. Then Rose went to park the SUV in the VIP parking lot and rejoined them five minutes later.

"Nothing's changed?" Jill asked.

"No, my private meeting with World Council President is still at 10:30," Catherine said, looking at her smart phone.

"So we still have forty-five minutes."

"Let's see what's goin' on in the main hall."

Much as the previous day walking through the convention center they received many odd looks from the other Animals and a clear path opened before them. It helped that a Smilodon both preceded and trailed their group. Delegates and ordinary citizens from different cities and towns around the world were already entering the main hall so they had to wait a short time in line. After they made it past the security Jill noticed a feline walking against the flow of Animals and coming determinedly toward them. The Clouded Leopardess stopped before them when they were a few steps away.

She glanced at Catherine for a moment and stepped toward Saber. Only then did Jill notice how far her canines protruded below her lower jaw. Then the Clouded Leopard held out a hand.

"I've always wanted to meet one of you," she said and he looked at Jill. "I'm Janis Baomay."

The Rabbit looked around for a moment and smiled. Saber took her hand and some animals stopped to watch.

"I've met others of your species while I was in the Marines, but none were quite like you," he said and she laughed.

"They called it a birth defect when I was a cub and wanted to shorten them," she said and noticed him frown, "but my mother told them if God made me like this and it must've been for a reason. So here I am." She smiled and Saber laughed. She looked back at Catherine. "I met you once during your campaign." The vixen looked at her more closely. "I worked security for your opponent at one of the debates."

"You're right!" Catherine said and snapped her fingers. "I remember. What are you doing now?"

"Between jobs," she said and Catherine looked at Jill.

"We going to wonder around the hall for a little bit," Jill said and started toward the front. "Let's talk."


"Your next appointment's here," his secretary announced.

"Please bring them in," the World Council President said.

"All of them," his head of security said.

"Yes, all of them," he said, having already heard the gossip about Catherine's bodyguards.

"Yes sir," he said and spoke into his wrist mic.

The door opened and Saber entered first and looked around the room. More security than usual, he thought and stepped aside.

"Catherine!" he said and came to her.

"Bruce, how ya doin'?"

"Pretty good for a fat old Bear!" he said and took her hand.

The vixen grinned.

"You're not that old," she said and winked.

The grizzly roared with laughter and then hugged the tall vixen.

"You're still the most beautiful vixen in the world," he whispered.

"A handsome fellow like you might turn my head," she whispered back.

"I could only wish," he whispered and smiled.

"How you really doin'?"

"Well enough."

"I'm here if you need to talk."

"She's been gone for a year and a half and I still miss her so much."

"I still miss Albert each and every day."

"Thanks for listening."

"Anytime."

"First, before we get started please introduce me to your friends," he said and Catherine took him by the hand.

"This is Saber," she said and he had to look up to meet the feline's eyes.

"When I was a cub my father took me and my brother camping and we met one of your people."

"Some of us prefer to live alone."

"But not you."

"This is my mate, Amanda," he said and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sir," she said and the Bear smiled.

"I remember reading about your adventure years ago when it happened," he said and looked at each of them in turn. "I thought you were both very brave and quite resourceful."

She looked at her handsome male and smiled.

"Thank you sir," she said and Saber looked back at her.

"This is Rebecca," Catherine said and he shook the scaled hand.

"I can say I've never met a Dragon."

"Komodo and the other four islands are rather small and remote."

"I've made it my goal to every species in our world."

"I think to do that you'd have to be immortal," Rebecca said and smiled.

Several of them laughed.

"And this is Red," Catherine said.

"I don't think that you're that old either," she said and Bruce laughed again.

"Vixens always say what's on their minds?"

"It's genetic," she said and smiled.

"I believe it," he said and Red chuckled. He looked back a Catherine. "So where's Jill?"

"Well I think we might've found someone to join our little group," Red said and looked at Catherine, "and Jill is talking her."

"We thought since we just met her that it wouldn't be appropriate to bring her," Catherine said.

Bruce made a face.

"That's not a problem," he said and waved a hand.

"I'll give her a call," Rose said and took out her phone.

"Sir," his head of security said.

"You can check her outside first."

"Yes sir."


"So what do you think?" Jill said and then her phone rang.

Janis looked at the Rabbit and smiled. Jill took at her phone and accepted the call.

"Hello."

"Jill, the President wants to meet you," the vixen said, "and bring Janis too."

"Really?" she asked and looked at the Clouded Leopard.

Janis cocked her head.

"I have a feeling he'll want to meet her too."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," she said. "Come on! Hurry up and get over here!"

"Be there is a few," she said and hung up.

"What's up?"

"You're hired," Jill said and took her hand. "Come on! Someone wants to meet you."


Nick wondered where his mother might be as he, Judy, and Ben were one of the roving patrols inside the conference center. Just as they passing a coffee shop when he caught a glimpse of a tall Rabbit leaving ahead of them.

"Jill," Ben shouted and he saw the Rabbit and a Leopardess beside her stop and turn toward them.

Ben hurried ahead and hugged is bunny. He and Judy soon caught up with them. Nick looked at the Leopardess and smiled.

"Hey Nick," she said and hugged him.

"Janis, I haven't seen you in forever!" he said and heard a growl behind him.

He quickly released her and stepped aside.

"This is Judy."

"Glad to meet you," she said and winked at Nick. "I've read all about your adventures."

"Seems like my fiancée knows every female in Zootopia."

"As I told you I know everybody."

"It always seems like they're female."

"Judy, that's just the luck of the draw," he said and smiled.

The Rabbit crossed her arms over chest and glared at the Clouded Leopard.

"Your sister has some interesting stories about you two."

Then Judy shifted her glare to her sister and she growled again.

"So what are you up to?" Jill asked.

"We're just doing a roving patrol," Ben said.

"Well we've been invited to meeting the President," the tall Rabbit said and smiled at the look on her Cheetah's face, "and we do seem to be going the same way."


Ten minutes later they arrived and Judy was a bit surprised at amount of security present.

"You think this is all for us?" Nick whispered.

"They must've heard you were coming," she said and he chuckled. "Any female agents you know."

"Well let me check," he said and purposely studied each Animal. Judy rolled her eyes. Then he stopped and she saw his fur fluff out. "Well I'll be damned!"

"Language Nick!" she said, but he was already walking straight toward one of the agents.

She followed behind.

"Hi Russell, remember me?" he said and saw the Gerbil's eyes widen in recognition.

"Nick?" Judy said.

"Remember the story I told you about the Junior Ranger Scouts."

"Nick!" she said and some of the other agents began to move toward them.

"This little mother... asshole and his friends were the ones who beat me up and put a muzzle on me."

"I didn't do..." Russell began.

"The only reason you got away with it was I didn't tell anyone," he said and the Gerbil took a step back.

Then he spoke into his cuff mic.

"Until he told me," Judy said.

"I wonder how this little psychopath could get a job as a Presidential security agent."

"Officer Wilde," the Lead Agent said.


The security agent didn't get his weapon out half way of it holster before Saber stripped out of his hand along with a couple of fingers. Then he noticed the next agent doing the same thing and threw body into her. They slammed against the wall and slid down it, both now unconscious. The he looked at Amanda and she had other two agents in much the same condition. The Dragon held another agent, one hand on her throat and the other on a now crushed wrist. Then he heard a scream and turned to see a hand still gripping a gun lying on the floor. The Wolf it once belonged to now held a bleeding stump and Red held some type of long knife.

Then he heard the familiar sound of a hammer being pulled back a large handgun.

"Bruce, explain to me why your security were pulling guns on us," Catherine said, now holding said handgun pointed at the floor.

"I... I... I have no idea," he said, taking a step back and only having eyes for Catherine's gun.

While Rose was putting a tourniquet of the Wolf's arm the others quickly and methodically striped the agents of all their weapons.

"Maybe they were going to kill him and then blame it on us," Saber said, coming up beside Catherine and checking out his new acquired machine pistol.

"That's crazy!" Bruce exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Sir, I was in the Marines and I've seen crazy and trust me that ain't even close!"

"I wonder what's going on outside," Catherine said to no one in particular and looked as the others already began taking up defensive positions around the entrance. "I'm sure glad I brought these." Then she opened up her purse and took out six rings of different sizes and handed one of the larger ones to Saber.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Body armor," she said and he first looked at the ring and then her like she was kidding.

"Let me show you," she said and quick stripped out her clothes and handed her gun to Saber. Then she opened the ring and put it around her neck. "Now watch." When she closed it a black film quick spread until it cover her body completely.

"What the devil!" Red said, stepping closer to get a better look.

"Nanomachines," she said and handed the next one to the other vixen. Any hit on this armor spreads the kinetic energy across the entire suit and then stores it, powering the nanomachines."

Saber quickly followed the vixens lead and was soon encased in the black armor.

"Catherine," Red said and extended a hand. "This is awesome! It's like all my senses have been enhanced."

"Because they have," Catherine said. "Toss me one of those pistols."

Rebecca tossed one and she easily caught it and then crushed it until it was a ball.

"Damn!" Red said.

Soon thereafter they all were wearing the armor.

"No standard bullet can make it through this armor."

"Where'd you get them?" Bruce asked.

"Trust me Bruce if I told you that you wouldn't believe me," she said and he looked at the sixth ring. "This one's for Jill and it's too small to fit around your neck. Now let's just find out what in the hell's going on!"


Judy looked at her Fox as he glared at Russell who was now guarding them. Then she looked at eight agents who were gearing up to assault the conference room. She heard a quiet pop beside her and glanced at her sister who sat expressionless. Then she looked back at the agents just as the wall beside door exploded outward and a moment later a large figure in black plowed into them. Then there were screams, gunshots, and bodies flying across the room.

A few seconds later five other figures came through the wall and went after the remaining agents. Guns simply had no affect on them and she watched Russell swing his gun toward Nick. Then a pair of handcuffs struck him across the muzzle. He raised his hands to his face and Jill leapt on him, stripping the gun away and breaking a few fingers in the process. She rolled away and began to fire. She was an expert shot and won a number of competitions.

Nick scooched forward and brought one of his feet down on the Gerbil's face with a crunch. Then he brought his foot up again.

"Nick stop!" she said and he looked back at her.

Time stretched and then he lay back on the floor and let out a ragged breath. Soon enough the sounds of combat lessened and after a minute petered away.

"Nick?" Judy and Ben said simultaneously.

"God, you don't know many times I've thought of killing that little bastard," he said quietly.

"You don't really mean that!" she said and he looked back at her for a moment and then looked away.

Jill returned and searched Russell's body, found two loaded magazines, ejected the empty one, and reloaded. Then search again and came up with a key.

"Let's get those cuffs off you," she said and quickly moved behind them.

"How'd you get yours off?" Ben asked.

"I dislocated my thumb and slipped out of one cuff. Then I picked the other one. You can hide a lot of interesting things in all this fur."

"Tell me about it," Nick said and grinned. Jill chuckled and her sister growled.

After eight snicks they were all on their feet. Nick looked down on the unconscious face of his long ago tormentor.

"Nick!"

He turned and looked at the black clad figure striding toward him.

"Mom!"

"You OK?" she asked and handed the last ring to Jill.

"Sure," he said and then looked at her from head to foot. "What the devil are you wearing?"

"Body armor," she said and looked around the room and then back at Jill. "Take off your clothes and put that around your neck." She handed the Rabbit the ring and then looked back at her son. "Why'd they attack us?"

"I'm sure it was this little bastard's fault," he said and touched the body with his foot.

"Who's he?"

"I never told you, but remember when I tried to become a Junior Ranger Scout..."

"He's one of the little shits who put a muzzle on you!?"

"You knew!"

"They'd bragged about it and it got back to me."

"What'd you do?"

"I went and raised holy hell with scoutmaster, but of course I was only a Fox!"

"So they did nothin'."

"Yea."

"I should've told you."

"And I should've come to you when I found out, but I didn't know what to say."

"There was really nothing to say!"

"I could tell you'd changed, but..."

"It's OK."

"No, it's not!"

"Catherine?"

They looked at the Bear who stepped through hole in the wall. Then several miles below the surface rocks that had been locked together for millennia finally gave way and everything for hundred miles on both sides of the fault shifted four feet within a second.


The power failed almost immediately and everyone was thrown to the floor. Then the building groaned and walls began to crack and buckle as the shaking built.

"Everyone outside!" Catherine roared and started toward the floor to ceiling window, her body armor correcting for the shaking. She snatched up Nick and Judy along the way and pulled them close.

She turned at the last moment and crashed through the glass, not wanting to injure her son or Judy. The others tried to stand, but only the ones wearing the body armor were successful. They ran toward the broken window and each snatched up one of their compatriots except Saber who threw Bruce over his shoulder. He made it out last just as the building began to collapse. He continued and then stopped, lay on the ground with the others, and watched its final collapse. A great cloud of dust and smoke rose into the air. For another full minute the ground shook.

"Catherine," Bruce said and looked at the rubble that was once the conference center. He saw that fires had started in several places.

"There's going to be aftershocks," Jill said and explosion rocked the other end of the building. "That was a gas explosion. Maybe we ought to get a little farther away."

"Maybe we ought to get a lot farther away!" Red said and stood, heading toward the VIP parking area. "I'll get the SUV so we can get the hell out of here."

"What about the Animals buried under all that?" Bruce asked and pointed toward the rubble.

"We too close to the ocean here," Catherine said.

"A tidal wave!" Nick said.

"That depends where epicenter was," Jill said.

"It was twenty-two point three from the coast and it's already generated a large tidal wave," Catherine said and looked toward the mountains. "Go ahead and get the SUV." Red started off at a trot. "Hurry! Make it quick!" The vixen broke into a run. "Our ride'll be here in four minutes."

"Ride?" Judy said.

"You'll see," she said.


The noise began as a rumble and all eyes scanned skies. Soon enough a dark dot appeared in the sky and over the next minute grew in larger until it flew over them and landed a hundred feet away. Red returned with the SUV and watched as the shuttle lowered its cargo ramp. Everyone piled in and she drove into the cravenness space. Also by this time a few other animals had made it out of the rubble and hurried toward them.

"John!" Nick said, seeing his uncle coming through the door from the flight deck and wearing the same armor as his mother. His armor only extended from the ring down, leaving his head exposed.

"Nick, Judy, Catherine!" he said and hurried toward them. They hugged and he pulled away. "We've got about eight minutes till the wave gets here."

"Hello!" someone shouted from the bottom of the ramp and every turned to the group waiting of Animals.

"Quick, get aboard!" Catherine shouted. "There's a tidal wave coming!" It didn't take any more coaxing then that to get them moving. "We've only got seven minutes see if any other Animals are out there!"

"Everyone out of the way!" Red shouted as she spun the tires and backed the SUV down the ramp. The others in their armor followed.

Bruce stayed and to organize the Animals as they came up the ramp. Some had to be carried and Rose returned three times with the SUV fully loaded. When began to hear the rumble of the approaching wave they all returned with the last few animals and the ramp was raised. They lifted off just as the water reached the perimeter fence behind the conference center. The shuttle shot straight up, pressing everyone down, and they all heard the thunder of the wave crash even over the noise of the engines. Then they shot away toward Zootopia.


They hovered over her house for a few moments and then landed in her backyard. Catherine's house leaned at an angle, but hadn't collapsed yet. Jesse and her sisters, Ann and Rachael, came running around the house as she watched another shuttle lifted off a few streets over.

"Catherine, your house..." Jesse began.

"Won't be here in thirty-two minutes when the tidal wave gets here," John said as another shuttle landed nearby. "See if you can call your family and friends and tell them to get over here quick! Come on get aboard!"

Another shuttle landed a street over as two others lifted off.

"Why are they all landing here?" Catherine asked.

"Catherine, we can't save everyone, but we can save most of the Animals in Foxtown," he said as several more shuttles landed.

"But..."

"Catherine, who exactly should we to leave behind?" he asked and she sighed. "We'll take anyone who can get here."

"A lot of Animals are going to die."

"Catherine, that'll happen either way," he said and shrugged.

She saw the first of the skunks coming from the street behind her house and then turned and saw Mike and Rose turn into the driveway and park.


Theirs was the last shuttle to lift off as the water reached the outskirts of Foxtown. Fortunately a good deal of the wave's power had dissipated along the way and the water gradually rose over the next half an hour until Zootopia was inundated. The shuttles began to return, hovering over the water, and threw inflatables to the Animals who were now treading water. They were hauled aboard as quickly as possible and then the shuttle moved on. Others lowered themselves until they almost touched the water and lower their ramps so Animals could simply swim to the bottom of the ramp and crawl aboard. Some Animals had climbed to rooftops for now still above water and were easily rescued from the there.

To Catherine's eyes any building over a hundred stories that still stood was safe for now. Unfortunately not many did other than tallest one in the city which she knew had been built to withstand an earthquake.

"Well we're full," John said as the shuttle began to move toward the mountains.

"John, could you take us to Maria's?" she asked and then tried to call the Gazelle.

"Sure," he said and she felt them change direction. They soon hovered over the building, the shuttle being too large to land. "Can you get me down there?"

"Us," her security detail coursed.

"Yes," John said.

The shuttle drifted around the roof and get as close as it could without hitting anything. The ramp lowered and it was within five feet the roof.

"An easy jump," Catherine said.

"I'll go first," Saber said and leapt on the roof, landing on all fours.

Catherine was last and Saber caught her. The ramp lifted and shuttle slowly moved way. When it was at a safe distant accelerated and flew toward the mountains. They watched until it was out of sight.

"It's nice to held by a big strong male," she said and he smiled.

"I've never held a vixen before."

"Then you've been missing out," she said and he laughed.

"And he'd better never do it again," Amanda said and he hugged Catherine.

She stared at him.

"I thought this'll be my last chance to hug a vixen," he said and the vixen in question chuckled.

"Trust me, it will be!" she said and everyone laughed.


They were half way to door when it opened and Maria and a few of her security Animals followed her out. Catherine raised a hand in greeting.

"Tried calling, but I guess the cell towers now either have no power or their down."

"That's not really a surprise," Maria said. "Zootopia's infrastructure simply wasn't built for an earthquake of this magnitude."

"You're right," Catherine said. "How's the building?"

"It made it through it in good shape according to the sensors and the water's up to the 102nd story, but we still have power up here."

"There'll be aftershocks," Jill said, "and I don't know how many Animals you have in there, but eventually you're going to run out of food and water before the seawater recedes completely."

"I know, I know."

"Why don't you come with us?" Catherine said. "We can evacuate everyone."

"What are those?" Maria asked, seeing one of the shuttles hovering over one of other the tall buildings still standing, and the vixen smiled.

"Now that's a long story, but I'd rather show you than tell you."


Two days later Maria waited atop her building with the final group of evacuees from her building and rode on the last shuttle out. She still saw others arriving over the city while others that were fully loaded followed hers. They flew toward the mountains for the next twenty minutes and then came to a stop and hovered. Then a section of the mountain ahead slid aside revealing a large cavern. They moved forward and entered and after her shuttle and the three others flew a short distance the entrance slid closed behind them. Then a short time later they gently set down on cradles which were set on tracks. The engines shutdown and they began to move forward into another tunnel on the other side of the cavern. Their journey lasted only five minutes when they entered another large room. The cradle backed into an alcove and the ramp was lower. It looked like the entrance to a modern airport terminal, Maria thought.

"Let's go everyone," Catherine said and put her arm around the Gazelle. "I think you'll find this quite interesting."

She led Maria and her bodyguards down the ramp and through the walkway to find Bruce and a group of Foxes waiting for them.

"Catherine, this place is just amazing!" he exclaimed and she smiled.

"It is, isn't it," she said and smiled.

The other Animals came down the ramp behind them and were led away by the Foxes.

"Where are they going?" Marina asked.

"To be checked out at one of the hospitals and then to temporary housing," Bruce said. "At least that's what happened to me and the others when we got here."

"You've been able to contact the capital?" Catherine asked.

"That was no problem and there's help coming from all over the world."

"Excellent," the vixen said. "And what did you tell them about this place?"

"Actually nothing," he said and smiled. "I don't think they'd believe me until they've seen it for themselves."

Catherine smiled.

"Now let me show you something."

They followed her to an elevator and for the next five minutes it rose. It slowed and then gradually stopped. They doors opened they were met by a group made up of mostly Rabbits.

"Mom, dad!" Judy yelled and ran to meet them.

"Judy, Nick, Catherine!" Bonny exclaimed and hugged her daughter.

"Gazelle!" Stu said and Maria smiled at the older male Rabbit.

Bonnie looked between the two of them and then rolled her eyes. Then she turned back her daughter.

"Is BunnyBurrow OK?"

"Of course," she said and smiled. "Just a little shaking. Your room still looks just the same."

Nick laughed and she growled.

"Stu, Bonnie, I glad you all could come," Catherine said and took their hand. "As Mayor of Zootopia I want to officially thank you for all the help yours and the other Burrows have sent."

"Catherine, what is this place and where'd you get those spaceships that brought us here?" Bonnie asked.

"First, your right those are actually spaceships," she said and grinned at the looks on their faces. "As to what this place is, let me show you."

"Spaceships!" Bruce exclaimed and she turned to him.

"How would you like take a ride onto space?" she said.

"Really!"

"Really," she said and turned and walked toward pair of unassuming doors. "Please follow me." She touched a pad set into the wall and the pair of doors slid apart. They walked out on a catwalk that spanned the large circular crevasse at the center of the even larger room. "Now look down." Large machines rode up and down tracks embedded in the walls as far down as they could see. "This machine extends down 6500 levels into the crust of the planet and even after thirty years we haven't explored them all."

"This is unbelievable!" Bruce said.

"And this is only one of sixteen scattered around the planet," Catherine said.