General Anatoli walked down a humid and cool cement tunnel, the walls painted a darker shade of lime green. Pipes and conduits were attached to the wall with varying labels such as potable water, steam, oxygen, and electric. "So you have enough, even after three weeks Doctor Black?" He looked at the coyote in a lab coat with doubt.

"Well, it is enough for now General." The coyote was nervous. He and his colleagues had been under pressure to produce. It was obviously how much pressure they would be under when they started to receive shipments by small truck. "Please follow me, we will go to the control room." Checking his watch just as a female's voice came over the PA system.

"Sixty minutes to test." Was all that was said.

"Well, this best prove fruitful." Tucking a pair of gloves into the belt that went around his uniform jacket at his waist level. "Otherwise General Gerhard and I will have to reconsider your position here."

"I … I … I understand General." The coyote's ears were laid back, tail low, and he was gripping a large binder in his paw tighter then was absolutely necessary.

Feeling the mammal was sufficiently reminded of the seriousness of the situation he was in. "Relax Doctor, I am sure you have done your diligence and have ensured success today. Which will land you in the history books." Turning on the smiling and confident political mask he had learned to use over the years. As they walked down the hall the doctor led them to the left. After the turn there was a short hallway, just like all of the others, but an armored door painted red. To the right of the door was a black box that the doctor walked up to.

"With your permission sir." The coyote looked up to the Anatoli and when the general nodded he opened the box and pulled a corded phone headset out of the box. "This is doctor black." He waited for the response and then fumbled for a slip of paper in hos pocket. Reading off the paper once he had it out. "Alpha, Sierra, Echo, Bravo, One … thank you" He hung up the phone and there was a bussing as the door unlocked. As he pushed the well balanced one foot inch thick door open, he burned the slip of paper in his pocket and tossed it in a can that was mounted next to the phone box.

The general watched all of this with a smile. These security steps were his idea and he was pleased to see that they were being observed. Once they had walked into the room beyond the door was shut behind them automatically and the large locks could be heard slamming into place. The sound actualy made the Doctor jump, which in turn made Anatoli chuckle. The room had the same painted cement walls as the hallways in an octagon shape. On the walls were large stacks of electronic equipment with various indicators, switches, and levers. In the middle of the room was two banks of computer stations some with mammals sitting at them wearing headsets and some empty. On one of the far walls there were screens showing computer images of various buildings in various levels of construction, each labeled as Downfield One through Downfield Ten.

Anatoli glanced over the screens quickly. Most of the structures were painted with black and white alternating stripes. What he found more of interest was an eleventh screen that showed a metal structure much like scaffolding that had a cylindrical device within the middle of it. He had to admit it was smaller then he had expected, but for the moment he didn't question anything. Making his way to a long thin window that looked out over the long plane, he had to step up three steps to get to the window. The window was at his head height showing that most of the facility was underground.

The doctor came over to him after speaking with a few of the mammals and handed him a helmet and set of highly tinted goggles. "Sir, for your safety sir."

Anatoli took both, placing the googles over his head and hanging them from his neck for the moment and then placed the helmet over his head. As he turned back to look out the window the PA came alive again.

The same female voice as before. "All personnel, all personnel, it is now thirty seconds to zero time. Put on goggles or turn away. Do not remove goggles or turn back until ten seconds after first light."

The doctor put his own goggles on and Anatoli did the same. The lenses put a dark brownish green tint on everything in his vision. He tightened the straps to hold the goggles comfortably in place as he patiently waited.

"T minus 30 seconds … " The female voice came over the loud speaker as a klaxon alarm sounded twice. "Ten, niner, eight, seven, six, fiver, four, three, two, one, T-zero"

At the female's voice of zero he heard a switch thrown behind him. Within a half a moment there was a flash of light in front of him, almost unbearable to look at even through the lenses of the goggles. A fireball grew upwards and outwards causing circular shaped clouds to become rings around the rising orange and yellow column that ascended into the air above before the top started to spread out like the cap of a mushroom. The inside of the initial blast looked like the ripples on a pond bouncing off of each other only these were waves within a ball of fire. Moments after the shock wave from the blast shook the facility.

It was the middle of the day, but everything around the blast looked to be in complete darkness. The room around them was silent except for the continued rumble from the blast they had all just witnessed. Looking up at the down range screens, all but two were showing static, the two that remained were in and out but when you could seen what the protected cameras were looking at there was almost complete destruction. The wooden structure had collapsed and was in flames. The cement structure which had been made of multiple layers of reinforced concreate and steal looked like it had been peeled away much like pealing a banana.

Anatoli smiled and clapped the doctor hard on the back with a paw. "I would call that a success doctor." Turning from the window and pulling off the goggles he wore and hanging them on a hook he found next to the window, he did choose to keep the helmet on for the moment. "Well done to you all. This has been a great success and your hard work will be rewarded." Turning back to the doctor. "We will of course expect mountable devices as soon as possible. You do have the carrying capacity specifications yes?"

The doctor was still staring out the window in what Anatoli thought was aww and horror. "Ye yes sir."

"Doctor, you have secured our place in this world. Be proud." Taking the gloves from his belt he put them on his paws. "I must report to General Gerhard of your success. Do excuse me."

"Oh .. of course sir. We have .. much work to do." The doctor appeared to come out of his thoughts at least for the moment.

"You do indeed. I will see about stepping up production at site two if it is possible. We must begin warhead construction immediately." Smiling at the doctor he gripped the doctors shoulder for a moment before turning on his heals and marching towards the door, which was opened for him by one of the technicians in the room. "Well done son." He taped the young mans shoulder and was pleased by the look of pride on the tech's expression before walking out.

Anatoli wove his way through the hallways to a secure communications room. Entering there were two mammals in military uniform at stations containing a multitude of radio equipment. "Get the general on line for me."

One of the mammals saluted, "Yes sir." He went to work and within moments held a phone out to General Anatoli. "Sir, General Gerhard."

Anatoli smiled and took the phone in his paw and brought it to his ear. "General"

"Anatoli, your report?"

"It was a complete success sir." Anatoli said with pleasure. "And sir it was," he paused and sighed, "beautiful sir."

There was a laugh from the other side of the phone. "That is good news my friend. Good news. Come back to the capital, we have plans to make and we must celebrate."

"Yes sir." Handing the phone back to the operator. "Have my transportation made ready."

"Yes sir." The operator saluted as the General walked out of the room, back to the surface to begin his travels back to the capital. He couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the world would be reacting to their little test.

*oOo*

In Zootopia the weeks had passed relatively the same way as the first few days for Leon. He had visited his sister daily, and most days he was kicked out within a few minutes. Though the last few days she had at least started to talk to him about how the previous day's monotony had been boring. Her injury was healing well, though she had a delay in the healing during the first week by her own paws. She had ripped out the tube that was keeping her lung for deflating while she healed. They had to sedate her for a while to keep her from trying that again, and for the duration of that week they had kept her restrained. The nurses had to paw feed her as she was not allowed to feed herself.

Leon had also met with Jack every few days, during one of those meetings Jack had discussed the intel he had received about the coup that had occurred. During those meetings Leon had given Jack information on what to possibly expect from the new government and what their goals might be. Leon was sure he wasn't getting all of the details that Jack knew, but he would have done the same in Jacks place.

Today he had just finished his near daily breakfast with Meredith, who still tried to refuse the coffee he picked up for her from the shop she had introduced him to. She had convinced him to not pick up a muffin every day and opt for a healthier breakfast from the hospital café, something about watching her figure which he adamantly stated she need not worry about. Today, once Meredith had left for home, Leon went back to the buffet and selected a few items he hoped might continue the progress with his sister. He was sure one item in particular would at least peak her interest.

Once he had put the to-go box together he paid for the items and headed up to the third floor. Smirking at the Tiger at his sister's door he walked up to the tiger.

"So how are we today Agent Kitten?" He asked much as he had daily.

"Oh I'd say we are having a good day Mr Stinks." The tiger chuckled his deep chuckle. "Think today you might make it to the five minute mark?"

"Care to make a bet on that?" Looking up at the tiger.

"Not if you're bringing in food with you." The tiger chuckled. They had built up a repour between them over the days he had stood guard. He had a lot of respect for the skunk that kept coming back every morning only to be yelled at by the end and kicked out, each and every time.

"A good choice." Leon smirked as he grabbed the handle to the door, then he laughed as the tiger tapped a button on his watch. He knew that was the start of the timer. Leon walked into his sister's room. "How are we today Elizabeth." Leon walked over to the chair that was positioned by her bed.

Elizabeth watched as her older brother walked into the room the beginnings of a smile on her muzzle which she quickly hid. "Would be better if I wasn't stuck in this damn hospital." Her eyes quickly noticed the little box that he carried with him. Her nose twitching as the mixed scents of the items in it made it to her.

"Well you might have been in a better condition if you hadn't attempt to remove the things that were helping you to heal." Leon said calmly.

"Why Leon? Why do you insist on coming in here every day?" She was trying to ignore her growing interest in the box her brother now held in his lap.

"Well first off because you are my sister." His paws rested on the box in his lap. "Second because I want you to see what I have seen." His smile was one more of sympathy now.

"I see that you have betrayed everything we were raised to believe. Everything we have been taught." She sighed as she sank her head more into the pillow under her head. "I don't understand you Leon, I … I can't be angry at you anymore. I don't know if you were somehow coerced or tricked, or if I should believe all of this."

"If you'd seen the things I've seen Liz," Shaking his head.

"I haven't Leon, I haven't seen what you've done nor where you've been. I don't even understand half of what you've told me about Gerhard. That he has taken over, that he killed the Workers and the Political head representatives. He never seemed capable of such deceit. You have though, your actions have shown you to be the traitor he said you are."

"Liz, we have talked about this. Anything I might say about any of that will seem the same. Because you still believe that I am a traitor." Sighing as he sat back in his seat. This was generally the point in their conversations where she would become angry with him and kick him out. "There is not much else I can say. Either you will understand or you won't. Perhaps today we can, just not talk about it?"

Looking at Leon the anger that was building in her somehow evaporating. She didn't have trouble associating him as her brother now even if she wouldn't admit it openly. "What's in the box?"

Leon smirked as he slowly opened the box. "Oh, you smelled that did you." From inside the box he pulled out a few items. A small piece of coffee cake that he placed on the tray in front of her. "I thought perhaps you would like something a little better than the little things they bring you." He noticed her nose twitching, and the look in her eyes that he hadn't seen since before she had come to Zootopia.

"Not that Leon. There is something else." A smirk growing on her muzzle.

"Oh, is my sister being greedy? I bring that little cake up here risking being yelled at by your nurse and you don't want it." Raising an eyebrow at her he smirked as she looked down at her lap in embarrassment. There was a little bit of his sister he remembered. "All right, but you must understand that I only got a couple of them." Smiling as he pulled out one of the white eggs.

"Is that an … egg?" Her eyes were wide. She'd only ever seen them but never up close.

Leon laughed, he imaged that her reaction was the same he must have had that morning with Meredith. "It is, they call it hard boiled." Holding it out for her to take. "You just have to carefully peal the outside shell off.

Elizabeth took the egg in her paw almost reverently, then she watched as Leon took another egg out of the box. She mimicked how he cracked the outside shell and pealed it open, the smell of the egg within making her mouth water. Once she was through to the white inside, she nibbled on the top of it and made the same chittering sound her brother did when happy. "Oh … this is … this is … "Taking another nibble.

"Not so bad?" Smiling at his sister. "Welcome to Zootopia." His smile was interrupted when Jack came into the room. "Jack?!"

Liz looked up and frowned at the rabbit. He had visited a few times since her capture, and every time she had refused to answer any of his questions. This time however was different. This suit was in a slight disarray, and he looked anxious. This was the first time she had ever seen his nose twitching.

"They did it Leon." He said flatly as he took the bedside remote from Elizabeth's hospital bed and turned the tv on.

"No … they couldn't have. Not this soon." Leon looked shocked as the TV came to life.

In the red strip across the bottom of the screen was written 'ZNN Breaking News Report'

" … ZNN has confirmed that approximately one hour ago a nuclear test was conducted. While the estimates are saying that the yield was small but that the blast was such that the test was likely of a fusion design also known as a Hydrogen Bomb …"

Leon stared at the screen shaking his head. "That … " He shut his eyes as he sat back down in the chair.

Elizabeth was staring at the screen. The video showing a recording of another test that had been conducted years ago in a different country in order to show the viewers what they were referring to. "That is horrifying." The egg in her paw completely forgotten.

"Jack, how? How do we stop this?" Leon's shoulders were slumped, he felt defeated.

"You can't stuff the secret back in the box once it's out. All we can do now is prevent it's use." Jack said as he looked up at the screen. None of them heard the voices talking, all three just saw the image of the forming dark cloud above the detonation it tried to shadow.