Chapter 5: Bleeding Out

Sahara Square

Southeast Zootopia Small Mammal Penitentiary

3 Years Later

Prison life wasn't something Lucy ever thought she would grow used to, but given enough time, even the worst of circumstances could become almost mundane.

"Honey, I'm home!" Lucy called out as she was returned to her cell.

Ci-Ci leaned back on her bed, holding a remote as she watched something dry and listless on the television. She was more than bored enough to roll with it. "How was your day at the office, dear?"

"The boss was on my case and I really need a raise, but it was okay otherwise. What's for dinner?"

"Probably bug meat or some substitute thereof."

"Mmm, my favorite!" Lucy sat up next to her, getting a quick hug from the mongoose as a welcome.

Then the illusion was broken, and not just because it was actually mid-morning. Ci-Ci let out a shriek, suddenly backing away. "What is that?"

Lucy blinked in confusion, until she realized that she might have been talking about the object poking out of her pocket. It was a small toothbrush with an even smaller blade emerging from the handle. "Oops, sorry about that." She carefully removed it, then reached back into her pocket for a plastic covering that fit snugly over the blade. "Dang thing's always popping off. Kind of a safety hazard."

"When did you get a shiv?"

"Um...a while ago," she admitted, as if she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. The cookies also had blades in them. "Just thought I should have something for protection in case I get attacked again."

She wasn't buying it. "Lucy, no one's so much as looked at you funny since you started hanging out with La Bruja. I've seen some of the scariest inmates here hold the door open for you!"

Lucy sighed, falling back on Ci-Ci's pillow to gaze up at the ceiling. "I guess I just like having the security. I had a pretty good life before, I realize that now, but it all got ripped away without warning. I can't afford to let down my guard anymore, not if I want to hold on to what life I have left." She twirled the brush-shiv around in her fingers, Ci-Ci looking at it warily despite it being covered. "I won't let anyone take it from me again."

"Not that I don't see your point," Ci-Ci said hesitantly, "but I'm getting worried about you, Luce. You know what they say about prison changing a mammal?"

"What do you mean?" The bat sat up, tilting her head. "I'm still me."

"Well...yes. But I've noticed a few things over your past couple years here. Like how comfortable you are around La Bruja now."

"What? I've gotten used to her general creepiness, sure, but I wouldn't say I'm 'comfortable'."

"Hey, LB! What's up?" Lucy raised a hand to wave as the old rabbit walked by for lunch. It wasn't returned naturally, but she just shrugged it off. "You got any new assignments for me today?"

She sat down at the table. "Not really."

"That's cool. Just let me know. Can't wait to put my wings to work again."

"Hmm."

"Are you sure? Nothing at all?"

"And all those thieving jobs you've been doing for her. You've gotten way too casual about it."

"Come on, it's not like that. It's just work to me. Nothing more."

Lucy stuck to the shadows as she swept silently down the hall. The patrolling guards took no notice as she swerved and weaved around them, but not without picking their pockets. Or singing a merry folk song in her head.

"A prudent thief should never drink so much that she becomes bold!"

"Because a thief who boasts and brags will rarely live to grow old!"

"For silence is a thief's best bet and if she breaks this etiquette!"

"Undoubtedly what she will get...will be more trouble than gold!"

Pockets lined, she did a festive spin in mid-air before heading back to home base, still singing.

"And...I don't even want to think about all that fresh blood you've been getting off those sleeping inmates. I think you might be addicted."

"I'm not addicted! I can stop whenever I want!"

"Mmmm-mmm! Possum blood is tas-ty!" The mammal in question wasn't asleep this time. She had woken up too early, then fainted and started playing dead the moment she saw her.

She licked her lips thoughtfully. "Sort of an earthy undertone, subtle but crisp. Not like the bold, assertive flavors of ferret blood. Something that I can sit down and enjoy with friends. Capybara is a bit similar actually, just tangier and with the slight ode of lemon. Need to find something with a stronger finish though. Maybe more age would help, but most of these inmates are pretty young..."

"I'm just saying, maybe try to cut back a bit?"

Lucy smiled. On closer inspection, even her fangs appeared sharper. "If you're that worried about me...I'll try, okay? Like I said, I'm still me. Wouldn't want either of us to forget that."

"I don't intend to," she said, smiling back.

"Does this call for another hug?"

She kept the smile. "Only if you put the shiv away first."

"Fair enough," Lucy chuckled, tossing it aside for now. "Not like I've needed Rudy's services anyway."

"You named it?"


Mess Hall

12: 04 PM

As soon as Lucy approached the double doors for lunch, Beth and the wooly rat she'd once dropped a dumbbell on quickly held them open for her. Ci-Ci threw out her arms in a "You see?" gesture and Lucy smiled back sheepishly.

La Bruja no longer needed to come sit herself at their table. Lucy had quickly figured out where the rabbit liked to sit, in the same spot uncontested for the past three years, and gravitated over to her as if pulled by some malevolent force. Ci-Ci followed, as she always did, presumably out of concern, but Lucy had never asked. La Bruja didn't object to her presence so much as ignored it entirely and she certainly wouldn't either. "Hey, LB. Good training sesh this morning, huh?"

"Your skills have improved," she said in a rare show of praise. "And you don't whine as much as you used to," she chidingly added, lest she think she'd been replaced by a body double.

"Thank you?" Lucy replied, not sure how else to react.

"Yes, I think you're about ready now. We'll be leaving today." She recited those words as dryly as any other and returned to the small salad she was eating.

As such, Lucy spent a moment just nodding in response before she suddenly gaped. "Wait...what did you just say?"

She glanced up. "Yes, I think you're about ready now. We'll be leaving today." She recited those words as dryly as any other and returned to the small salad she was eating.

Lucy looked to Ci-Ci and whispered, "Did you hear that too?" The mongoose nodded, equally stunned into silence. "Wait...I get it." She turned back to the rabbit, frowning. "You're just screwing with me again, aren't you? Like you did on my first day."

"Second day," she corrected. "First day was when you got yourself beaten up."

"Right...so why should I believe you're actually planning to break out today?"

"Fair point. You can believe what you want."

"Maybe I will!" Lucy crossed her wings and turned away. The next several moments were spent in almost complete silence as La Bruja chewed her greens and Ci-Ci perpetually swirled some soup around without eating it.

Eventually, Lucy looked back over her shoulder. "You're serious, aren't you?"

La Bruja didn't make eye contact and took another bite of her salad.

"Wow. Uh, sorry for doubting you, that's just a lot to take in so suddenly."

She took another bite.

"I mean, no offense, but I was honestly starting to think it would never happen."

And another bite.

"Alright, I'm ready. More than ready. Let's do this. So what's the plan? Anything special Ci-Ci and I need to-?"

She raised a paw, finished chewing, and swallowed. "When did I say anything about her? The Infernum's arrangement is with you, Lucy Sang, not your malodorous cellmate." She didn't even look at the mongoose she was currently insulting.

Not that Ci-Ci looked very insulted. "Hey, it's okay. I'm fine here, but you deserve a better life, Luce. I'm happy for you."

Lucy appreciated the sentiment, but ignored it, glaring at La Bruja. "You think I'm just going to accept that?"

"You think you have a choice in the matter? Interesting what lessons remain untaught after three years."

"Damn right I have a choice," she said firmly, planting her palms on the table and leaning across in what she already knew was a futile attempt to intimidate her. "I can choose not to go along with whatever plan you've concocted. Maybe I could even sabotage it and keep either of us from leaving."

Sure enough, she wasn't intimidated, though Lucy did get more of a reaction than she was expecting. That same throaty cackle she'd heard before erupted from her mouth, making all within earshot flinch away and take immediate interest in anything else. "Really? After all your crying over how unfair your imprisonment is and how much you want to get out of here, you honestly expect me to believe that you'd throw it all away just to rot in here with her?"

"You can believe what you want."

"Hmph. I'm calling your bluff."

While Lucy simmered with rage, Ci-Ci gently put a paw on her shoulder. "Luce, really, it's not that big a deal. If you have a chance to get out, you should take it. Don't worry about me."

Lucy slapped the paw away. "You don't get to say that after how much you've worried about me."

"How touching," La Bruja remarked, back to her usual self. "Fine."

Lucy's growing anger deflated abruptly. "Fine?"

"Fine, she can come," she clarified. "The Infernum values loyalty like this in its members."

"Like honor among thieves?" Ci-Ci asked.

"Something like that." And for the first time, she directly addressed the mongoose. "But just to be clear, you are not one of us. There will be restrictions." Ci-Ci nodded meekly as the rabbit turned back to Lucy. "And as for you, I'm just going to ignore the fact that you never actually answered my question. But that's alright. I know you can't ignore it."

Lucy looked away. If La Bruja had pressed the issue, she'd like to think she would have remained loyal to Ci-Ci, but...she really didwant freedom. More than her? She wasn't sure she could answer that, and thanks to the rabbit's machinations, she'd never have to. That did not come as a relief. "...What's the plan?" she asked again.

"Nothing much. Thankfully, this extra variable will not be a hindrance. I simply need you both to go along with the show and be willing to volunteer."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Is this really the time for more riddles? Just tell us what you ne-"

The mess hall's intercom system fizzled to life. "Attention, inmates," came the soft-spoken voice of Warden Smiles. "Please gather in the theater after lunch for a very special performance. This one is really going to knock your proverbial socks off."

The announcement got groans from several inmates, including Lucy. "Ugh, not another 'performance.' Doesn't this guy ever get sick of it?" She knew she was.

"Hey now, the warden's puppet shows aren't that bad," Ci-Ci defended. "He has a lot of fun characters and good moral lessons for all ages."

"Ci, he doesn't even have a real theater. It's just a second mess hall that we didn't need, converted into a cheap rec room so they didn't have to mark it off the budget. We are literally his captive audience."

"Okay, it's a little tacky, but he's just trying to help." She grinned down at her. "And look at the bright side. By the sound of things, this is the last time you'll ever have to sit through one."

"I guess there's that," she admitted. I only hope I can survive this punishment long enough to embrace freedom again.


The "Theater"

1: 00 PM

It appeared to be a very special performance indeed. In contrast to the low-budget mess she was used to, the room had truly been decked out this time. For one, the puppet stand that Smiles liked to "perform" behind had been replaced with an actual stage, and a pretty extravagant one at that. Large red curtains were draped on each side, a banner overhead lined with silver streamers that merged on the image of what appeared to be a giant silver acorn wearing a top hat emblazoned with an " ". It was one of the most bizarre things she had ever seen, but at the same time, one of the most intriguing.

Even the uncomfortable metal chairs that faced it had been replaced with soft, cushy ones straight out of an auditorium. Lucy already vastly preferred this show and it hadn't even started yet. Ci-Ci seemed to share a similar sentiment as the bat found herself grabbed by the wing and practically carried to the front row, the mongoose easily maneuvering through the rest of the crowd while they were still stunned. She was plopped into one of the front seats, a little dazed from the journey, as Ci-Ci leapt into her own seat next to her. Maybe she SHOULD join the Infernum with me. Get her excited enough and she could swipe anything.

"Isn't this great?!" she asked, almost squeeing. "I can't wait to see what they've got for us today!"

Lucy's own excitement was tempered by the fact that they were now separated from La Bruja, whom she couldn't even see anywhere. She whispered over to her. "Yes, but what about the plan? This could have been part of it."

"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine," she replied, not whispering. "I'm just happy to get such a big performance. I know I said I liked the warden's shows, but I'm looking forward to this even more!"

"Why thank you, I'm glad you've enjoyed my work," replied a voice next to her.

Lucy's heart sank. Not only had they been split up from La Bruja, but Ci-Ci had just sat both of them directly next to Warden Smiles himself. Okay, scratch that membership idea. Sorry, Ci, but you need to pay better attention to do this professionally.

Now what? Years of committing petty thefts right under this guy's nose and he had never felt like a genuine threat until this very moment. The other inmates had gotten over their surprise and were quickly filling up the remaining seats, so trying to swap now wasn't an option. It would look way too suspicious to try to leave the front row anyway. But this was no time to panic. She just had to trust that La Bruja knew what she was doing, and as annoying as the rabbit could be sometimes, she most certainly did.

In the meantime, she could at least try to get some information out of him. "So, uh, who's our special guest today?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"He's a stage magician of some renown," the quokka replied, his voice so soft that Lucy had to strain to hear him over the inmate chatter. "He came to my office a few weeks back, offering to put on a show and entertain you folks. I was a little skeptical at first, but his asking price was reasonable and I was moved by the compassion he showed to you all. I think you're going to have a great time here." He looked like he was almost on the verge of joyous tears.

Lucy, for one, was still pretty skeptical. But that was no skin off her teeth, only the warden's.

The lights suddenly dimmed, which was actually somewhat comforting for her, and the other inmates hushed up, everyone sensing that the show was about to start.

A drumroll played from seemingly nowhere and spotlights raced across the room. Lucy made the mistake of looking up at the wrong time and hissed as one hit her eyes, rubbing at them furiously. That left her ears more than open to pick up what came next.

"Ladieeeeees annnnnd geeeentlemammals!" announced a whimsical voice. "You are about to embark on a journey into a world of magic and wonder! Prepare your minds to be blown, reformed through powers beyond mortal comprehension, and then blown again! I am the greatest master of the mystic arts you are physically capable of observing! The one! The only!"

Both curtains slid open at once, but nobody was onstage. The inmates looked back and forth in confusion until a large cloud of multicolored smoke erupted in the center, a silhouetted figure pointing a wand dramatically into the air. "Ishini the Invisibini!"

This was the most excitement any of them had ever gotten in this room, so the inmates clapped and cheered uproariously. This included Ci-Ci of course, but even Lucy was giving him a healthy applause. Good entrance. Questionable stage name.

"Ah, that was his name," said Warden Smiles, his clapping hampered not by enthusiasm but by his apparent inability to make sounds above a certain volume. "Peter Ishini. How could I forget such a dazzling fellow?"

"How indeed…" Lucy muttered. The figure onstage extended both arms up towards the ceiling, then thrust them outwards, instantly blowing away the smoke that surrounded him.

He was a flying squirrel, one of albino coloration. His fur was stark white with the exception of his paws, feet, and furry ears, which were a bright orange. He wore a typical magician's tailcoat, black with silver trims, but the sides were altered to allow room for his wingflaps, not unlike Lucy's own outfits. She wasn't sure about the rest of him, but his wings were definitely dyed, a vibrant red to give the illusion of him wearing a cape without the added fuss. Even his eyes were a pinkish hue, though she could only see one of them completely as the left side of his face was covered by a half-mask that resembled his silver acorn logo. And just like that logo, he sported a top hat through which his ears poked out, black in color with a pair of flame symbols adorning the front, almost like eyes.

"How is everyone doing tonight?" Ishini asked, his voice echoing over the crowd. "Is the little big house getting you down? Well, if you've only got a few years, I hope to give you something to remember this place by. And if you're in for a longer stay, I'm here to show you the time of your 25-to life!" He tipped his hat out to them and a stream of confetti burst from it. "Who's with me?!"

Surprisingly, it seemed like everyone was. Whether it was just sensory deprivation or they really did enjoy the guy's style that much, he kept the crowd wrapped around his wand as he started to point it at random faces. "Nothing escapes my all-seeing gaze! You!" He pointed to a possum. "You're carrying a photograph of your two children at home!" The possum smiled and teared up, nodding. "Yooou!" He then addressed a chipmunk. "You're hoarding a six-pack of bubblegum in your cheeks! Not sure if that's considered contraband." The chipmunk clapped, even as he was tackled out of his seat by a guard. "Guess so! Yooooooou!" He finally pointed at Warden Smiles, who grinned even wider than usual. "You've got exactly $51.26 in your wallet right now!"

Smiles paused for a moment, then clapped hard, even raising his voice to a muted shout. "Very perceptive!"

Lucy raised an eyebrow. Was I seriously feeling threatened by him before?

"Now that I've opened your eyes, let's give them something to look at! Observe!" He waved his wand and a panel beneath the stage opened, a spinning wheel emerging with several acorn-shaped targets painted on its surface. "Nothing up my sleeves, 'cause I don't got any!" The squirrel then flicked his wrists and pulled several bananas from seemingly nowhere.

I guess even the warden isn't gullible enough to let him bring knives in.

As the wheel continued to spin, Ishini held a banana between each finger and flung them one by one at the targets. Despite their steadily-increasing speed, the airborne fruit pegged each target square in the center, putting the 'mess' back in mess hall and causing the crowd to erupt into cheers once again. Lucy was just as impressed if not moreso, though she couldn't help but notice that these talents had other, less-than-legal applications.

"Hold onto your seats! The most shocking performance of all is yet to come!" He did a spin and turned his back to them, showing his paws were now cuffed together. Still holding the wand, he waved it once more and a panel opened directly underneath him, causing him to fall. The audience gasped, then gasped louder when he appeared again, now strapped to an electric chair.

Morbid. I like it!

With his paws literally tied behind his back and his legs and torso strapped in, the squirrel looked ready to fry as the chair began to hum. "Oh no! It appears I'm going to be alakazapped! Whatever shall I do?!"

He put on a show of struggling helplessly for a moment and it actually looked like Warden Smiles might run up to help him, but a few seconds later, Ishini slipped from his bonds with unnerving flexibility and leapt free of the chair, which crackled loudly as it turned on. He landed with a flip, the chair providing a miniature fireworks show behind him. More cheers. "Thank you, everyone! You've been a wonderful audience!"

"We love you, Ishini!" Ci-Ci called out. Lucy stayed quiet, only because she had the dignity not to do the same. Inwardly, that was one of the coolest things she had ever seen and she'd go to a ton of this guy's shows if not for the fact that she was stuck behind bars.

But wait, I'm NOT going to be stuck here, am I? This has to be part of the escape plan, but how?

"The show's not over yet!" Ishini said suddenly. "Before I bow out, I have one final trick I'd like to share with you all! And it greatly resembles a classic!" He pulled off his hat and set it down on the stage, bottom-up. "I'm going to stuff a rabbit into my hat!"

Warden Smiles was visibly awed. "But it's normally the other way around! How wonderfully subversive!"

Lucy knew exactly who that rabbit was going to be even before La Bruja stepped up onto the stage, but seeing the stone-faced criminal standing next to the exuberant magician nearly made her burst out laughing. "Thank you for your assistance! What brings you here tonight?"

She glared at him.

"Right. Now watch, everyone! Watch and be amazed!"

It actually was kind of amazing to see him just lift her off the floor, by her ears no less, and La Bruja giving no reaction whatsoever as she was enveloped by the hat. When he was done, not even a bulge remained as he lifted the hat again and showed it to be empty.

Before the crowd could even finish applauding, he spoke again. "But who am I to limit this trick to just the lagomorph population? I like to practice progressive magic!"

"That's right!" someone shouted from the back.

"So I shall now accept volunteers to also get stuffed! Two to be precise! It is a hat trick, after all!"

Volunteer? This is it.

Lucy started frantically waving her hand to get picked. So did Ci-Ci without any prompting. So did just about everyone else in the room, including the warden.

"Hmmmm…" He obviously needed to make it look like he wasn't going to just pick them immediately, but Lucy still got annoyed by him leaving her in suspense. Finally, he pointed his wand at her and Ci-Ci. "You two! Come on up!"

Lucy eagerly flew up onto the stage. The real trick was that Ci-Ci still managed to beat her. As the giddy mongoose got shoved into the hat, Ishini losing a bit of his own giddiness at being introduced to her scent, Lucy waved to the audience. Bye bye, everyone! Thanks for coming out!

Then she too disappeared into the blackness of the hat.

Only to reappear shortly thereafter in a fairly dim and cramped space. She immediately saw Ci-Ci, as well as La Bruja and even a few of her corrupt prison guards. "Is this...inside the hat?"

She could see the disappointment on the rabbit's face, mixed with three years worth of regret. "This is below the stage," she answered.

"Oh." Fighting off embarrassment, Lucy pieced the rest together quickly. Like the hidden panels Ishini had used before, the hat acted as a tunnel to hide another one. While it looked like he was stuffing mammals into his hat, he was actually depositing them safely below the stage itself. It certainly did a good job of separating them from the rest of the crowd, whom Lucy could hear cheering outside, now muffled. "Okay, so this part worked like a charm. Now what?"

And then the explosions started.

Lucy stumbled a bit while Ci-Ci let out a yelp that was easily covered up, but La Bruja and her guards did not react other than a small smile on the former's part. "Now we make good on our escape."

The explosions continued, mixed with the screams of their fellow inmates and the actual prison guards. In the commotion, she could faintly hear Warden Smiles trying to scare off the attackers. "You're not being very neighborly!"

A much louder voice shouted back. "I do not ASK to be your NEIGHBOR! I simply invite MYSELF!"

Lucy's ears twitched, and not just from the volume. That voice...it sounded familiar. She knew she'd heard it somewhere before, but she just couldn't place it. Not that the constant fireworks were making it easy to collect her thoughts.

To say nothing of what it was doing to poor Ci-Ci, the mongoose huddled up anxiously with her tail around her ankles, jumping at each new boom.

Despite her better hearing, La Bruja continued to be unphased though, and after a very tense moment, she nodded and spoke up again. "Alright, that should be long enough. Follow me."

"Follow you where?"

The guards approached the back of the stage and flipped a latch to open it up, giving them a doorway outside. "Please stop asking questions with immediate answers," La Bruja advised. "In fact, it's best you stop talking entirely for the time being."

Lucy was annoyed, but they were escaping prison so it was a little hard to complain. Still, the rabbit's plan wasn't entirely clear to her yet. If she was waiting for the chaos to die down, she hadn't waited long enough. It still sounded like a warzone out there, even louder now without the wooden frame to muffle it. If Lucy weren't so desperate for freedom, she might have seriously hesitated to follow her.

Ci-Ci did hesitate, and if nothing else, that gave Lucy the opportunity to prove that maybe her loyalties weren't so conflicted after all. She gently gripped one of the mongoose's paws. "Hey, it's going to be alright. We can get through this."

"All those mammals out there…"

"I'm sure the guards are helping to keep them safe. There's gotta be protocols for this sort of thing."

"Funny you should say that," La Bruja noted, and the two of them were jabbed in the backside by her guards. They surrounded the rabbit as well, with a greater show of force than usual. With no further room for argument, they followed her out.

"Chaos" had been an accurate descriptor. Lucy couldn't see a lot through the guards around them, but the gaping hole in the mess hall wall was pretty hard to miss. Its image was distorted by the multitude of mammals running around, mostly prison guards defending their turf and the attackers, some kind of armed mercenaries in black clothes who were clearly outgunning the less experienced staff. As for the inmates, she could spot a few orange corpses near the opening, the likely result of opportunistic fools trying and failing to make a break for it during the ruckus. Most of them were gone though, likely escorted out by some of the other guards to be taken back to their cells.

She soon realized that this was exactly what they were doing, or at least appeared to be doing. Any real guard who spotted their group right now wouldn't give it a second thought under the circumstances. A classic diversionary tactic in action. Lucy had to keep herself from smiling as they approached the exit of the room, but one last thing caught her eye.

After it caught her ear first. "TRY as you MIGHT! I've got PLENTY more where THIS came from!"

She could see the speaker this time, a kangaroo rat standing atop an armored car and lobbing explosives at the guards below. He was dressed in a black sweater and beige khakis with a little beret atop his head and a concerning number of grenade belts wrapped around him. He looked like a complete psychopath, but more concerningly, he was one she now recognized.

It was Rattois, the art collector who had come to her gallery the night she'd been arrested. Though it now seemed that "art collector" belonged firmly in quotes. Is he with the Infernum too? How long have they been watching me? Does this mean my paintings aren't really worth thousands?

How typical that La Bruja would forbid her from asking questions right before loading her up with them. She barely even noticed when they finally left the room.


Hallway to Freedom

1: 36 PM

They entered into a long corridor that would supposedly bring them back to their cells. But these guards hadn't taken her anywhere they were legally supposed to yet, so she doubted they'd start now.

"Not bad, eh?"

Lucy looked to her right to find the magician, Peter Ishini, now standing there next to her. She could swear he hadn't been there before, but the fact that she was questioning it at all was a testament to his skills. "Yeah...not bad at all. Cool costume, by the way."

He grinned, giving a little bow while still walking. "What can I say? I dress to impresto."

"Can I have your autograph?" Ci-Ci asked.

"All of you, zip it!" La Bruja hissed. "We're not out of the woods yet."

Lucy glared, but to her surprise, Ishini extended one of his wings out in front of her as a sound barrier, then leaned in to whisper. "Don't worry about her. Pandora is tough on all the new recruits. She's tough on the rest of us too, but...less so."

She'd have been more appreciative if she weren't so confused. "Pandora?"

"Ah, sorry. You probably call her something else. I'm talking about our boss."

"You mean La Bruja?"

He chuckled. "That's what she went with this time, huh? Well, I can't say it doesn't fit."

Before she could inquire further, Lucy had to squint against the harsh sunlight of Sahara Square and realized the group had moved outside. Ishini pulled his wing away with a "Ta-daaa!" and Lucy feasted her squinty eyes on a prison transport bus, much like the one that had first brought her to this terrible place. It was only fitting that it would now be taking her away from it.

They boarded it completely unchallenged, not a guard in sight to stop them. That wasn't surprising considering the attacks of Rattois and his posse, the effects of which they could still hear in the distance. Not to mention the likely riots that were occurring from the outnumbered guards trying to get that many prisoners back to their cells at once. The facility had much bigger problems to worry about than a handful of escapees out back. As soon as they were all loaded up, the bus took off, soon leaving the prison and its emergency alert sirens behind them.

Lucy released a shaky breath, not realizing just how tense she had been until they were finally out of there. On cue, Ci-Ci let out a much louder one. "Holy shit, that was fucked!"

That actually managed to get a few quiet laughs out of the others, with the obvious exception of La Bruja. "If that's all it takes to disturb you, then you really don't belong."

Lucy almost snapped back, but then she spotted the driver of the bus through the rabbit's ears. She recognized him too. "Is that Mr. Graves?!"

With his gray three-piece suit and the unusual tendrils ringed around his muzzle, the star-nosed mole was pretty hard to mistake. Unlike Rattois, he looked exactly as she remembered him from that restaurant, which only made seeing him here all the more disconcerting.

"Hello again, Miss Sang. It's been a while." He gave a friendly wave from the driver's seat, completely at odds with the fact that he was aiding in a criminal breakout. "How are you doing? Has your training under Faceless been going well?"

"Well enough, I gu-wait, does everyone have a different name for her?"

"Yes, actually," Ishini confirmed. "As far as the Infernum goes anyway. She's used so many aliases over the years that it's hard to keep track of them all, so we each just call her by the one she used when she recruited us."

"Meaning that you can and will continue to refer to me as La Bruja." The rabbit smiled lightly. "In case you haven't noticed, I value my secrets. You know exactly as much about me as you need in order to perform your duties."

"My 'duties', riiiiight," Lucy drawled, leaning back against the vibrating wall and crossing her wings. "Well, I think it's about time you told me a little more then. Such as, for example, just off the top of my head, what the hell the Infernum even is!"

The others in the bus looked a bit unsure, almost shocked that she had asked that question so bluntly, but La Bruja just raised a paw and nodded. "You're right. I believe it is finally time for you to be enlightened."

Interesting way to put it, but she was so pleasantly surprised to finally get an answer out of her that she didn't comment.

"The Felidae Infernum is an underground organization of top-tier criminals. But we are more than that. We perform robberies, sabotage, and assassinations as needed. But we do more than that. We see what makes this city tick and what makes it squirm."

"But you see more than that?" Lucy guessed.

"We see everything, for we are everywhere. Anywhere you can think of, any district, sub-district, block, or household, one of our mammals has eyes on it. We are the very roots of Zootopia itself, giving it strength and stability while removing the parasites from its innards. We control this city and shape its future, all while most mammals have no idea we even exist, and those that do are chasing mere phantoms of the truth. They believe they can simply burn away Zootopia's problems all on their own."

But you burn more than that. She didn't even need to say it.

"Um...wow." That had to be the most impressive, yet still incredibly vague answer she'd ever gotten. But it was enough. And if even half of it was true, then it was no wonder she kept it from her for so long. She never would've been able to swallow something like that back when they first met. Even now she was having trouble putting words together.

"Oh! Oh! I've heard of you guys!" Ci-Ci snapped her fingers and pointed excitedly at them. "You're that really old secret society that got formed super long ago and then everyone thought you went away except the conspiracy theorists and everyone thought they were crazy, but they were totally right!" Apparently, the intrigue of meeting such a mysterious and powerful group of individuals overwrote the fear Ci-Ci had of them.

But for Lucy, there was only one other thing she really wanted to know right now. "Where are we heading?"

"One of our bases. We call it the Fire Pit," La Bruja answered. She was more forthcoming than usual, but her gaze remained just as chilling as she settled it on Lucy. "It is there that your real training shall begin."


2: 18 PM

The bus ambled through the rural roads on the outskirts of Zootopia for what felt like hours. Past the rocky mountaintops in the distance, Lucy could see the skyscrapers of the city peeking with an iridescent glamor, driving away the dark of the night. It was almost difficult to look at, but Lucy kept her eyes trained on it for as long as she could see it, like a moth drawn to a spotlike. Her first glimpse of Zootopia in years, and she was trapped behind the walls of this bus. Just another prison. At least this one was mobile, though.

La Bruja noticed the way Lucy eagerly dug her claws into the window, leaving tiny white marks in their wake. "You wish to see the city," she deduced, earning the bat's attention. "Patience. We are going to a far better place: a place where we will be safe." Her normally stony expression minutely softened for what Lucy could have sworn was the first time. "I believe you will find it to be even more beautiful than the greater city."

This claim widened Lucy's eyes with interest. As instructed, she patiently awaited their destination, sitting silently in her too-large seat without any fuss, that was, before their vehicle started to dip as though driving down a hill. It dipped more and more until the bus entered a sloped cavern entrance; descending deeper down a spiraling road. Lucy just barely saw a green road sign as it flashed by, stating, Nocturnal District. She immediately pressed herself against the window once more, watching as the traffic around them spilled into the aura of a soothing blue glow. It consumed them for a moment, and when the bat's eyes adjusted, she stared out with awe at a whole new world.

A massive underground cavern stretched for miles beneath the surface, far enough to extend even beneath Zootopia itself. Their bus entered from a road atop a giant stalactite, swirling around it and giving Lucy a 360 degree view of the whole district. Entire stone neighborhoods were built into the cavern floor, and massive stalactites topped with beacons lit up the cavern ceiling, so vast it might have been a sky of its own. Gothic skyscrapers reached for the surface, and on the edges of the district, huddled against the cavern walls, factories and mining facilities were buzzing with activity. Up high above, she spotted the source of the soothing blue light she had witnessed earlier: glowworms - millions upon millions of them - pulsing through the clouds of mist that congregated around the pointy stalactites clinging to the roof, almost as though they were stars beaming against a cloudy nighttime sky. Crystals embedded into the cavern ceiling glittered in the glowworm's light, speckling the rocks around them like a colorful kaleidoscope.

Lucy had heard of little but misfortune surrounding the district: poverty, crime, and atrocities committed by the old city government against its native populations, but never had she imagined it to be such a beautiful place. Lucy kept her face firmly smushed against the glass for the entire ride, staring up at the colorful cavern sky, not even noticing as their bus swerved to avoid potholes, and plowed through flurries of litter. Droves of seedy-looking nocturnal creatures, from raccoons and moles to groundhogs and even other bats prowled the streets, watching the bus as it pushed deeper into the district.

Eventually, the vehicle came to a halt beside a section of roads that twisted deeper into the bedrock. Small streams of water flowed down the chute, filtering between pointed boulders like a monstrous mouth guzzling all it could drink.

"We're nearing the Fire Pit," La Bruja announced. "Check the entrance perimeter. I don't want another ambush from those lowly street thugs."

Some of the passengers began to pile out, guns in paw, and Lucy couldn't resist the chance to join them, no matter if an ambush was possible. She flapped over their heads to reach the doors, and as soon as they opened, her wings took her to the sky like it was her last day on Earth.

"WOOOHOOO!" she howled into the air as loud as her lungs could expel.

Lucy flew high above the cavern floor, nearly reaching the spiky dome of stalactites and getting herself caught in the tendrils of slime that the glowworms produced. At the apex of her flight, Lucy ceased to beat her wings, taking a moment to admire the full glory of the district. She could see everything, and in that moment, felt like she could do anything. Three long years in that hellhole of a prison. Three long years of pain and suffering melted away at the sight of a world so new, so rife with beauty and opportunity. It brought tears to her eyes.

Losing her inertia, Lucy fell back to the ground, though she didn't even bother to use her wings - instead letting them flail limply at her sides as gravity pulled her away from the rocky ceiling. One of her tears broke away from an eyelash, briefly shimmering in the dull blue light before joining Lucy in the fall. The air rushed past her gray fur, invigorating the nerves buried beneath her skin. When she was only a few dozen meters from hitting the ground, she extended her wings to their full length like a parachute, and glided safely to the sidewalk, laughing giddily.

"That was amazing!" she fawned, wiping at her moist eyes. "I haven't seen anything like-"

"That was impulsive!" La Bruja growled as she hobbled closer, effectively silencing Lucy. "You could have blown our cover. Get back in the bus."

"R-Right. Sorry," Lucy timidly stammered.

Perhaps her little flight hadn't been a great impression, but on the inside, Lucy couldn't care less. When she had passed La Bruja's vision, she allowed her smile to return. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and for the first time in three long years, she felt truly free. It was all she could have asked for. Lucy tried spotting Ci-Ci as she returned to the bus, to share a look of excitement, but when her eyes locked with the mongoose past the window, her smile faded. Ci-Ci still sat inside, staring at Lucy with concern as two armed guards prevented her from leaving the bus to join in the fun. It didn't seem right that she looked so…trapped. Almost as if she'd never left prison at all.

The joy of the moment was gone. Lucy shambled back into the bus, trying to ignore the withering stink-eyes that the other Infernum members gave her. Only Peter Ishini seemed the least bit happy for her, smiling and shooting a brief wink of approval as their gazes met before turning to the window and whistling as though nothing had happened. Lucy uneventfully seated herself. She was free, but why did she get the impression that her freedom was still at risk? She drowned those doubts by staring out her window as the bus continued down its path, trying to get one last look at the outside world.

Lucy watched as the light from the glowworms disappeared as the bus descended deeper into the ground, enveloped in shadows that were all too eager to welcome their arrival. Back in the light, a single tear plipped into the ground after its long descent, marking the point at which Lucy's life would change forever once more.


Berserker88 here. Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to Upplet for writing that last scene where they arrive in the Nocturnal District. And also for contributing his version of the place, by extension.

Aside from that, I wanted to make note of Peter Ishini in particular, a character of my own creation whom you may be seeing more of than you expect. His name is a twist on "petauristini", the scientific name for flying squirrels. Rhyming with Houdini was just a happy coincidence.

While this story doesn't really have clean "arcs" per se, you can consider this the end of its first major leg. Now that Lucy is out of prison at last, it's time for the real fun to begin.