With the location of their quarry in hand, Nick and Judy drove down to the subway station at Fifth and Haysview, which was listed as abandoned and out of service for nearly a decade. Everything was rusted and dirty as they descended the steps, entering the dimly-lit catacombs of the city.
"You ever see that one movie about the killer alligators in the sewers?" Nick prompted, as they reached the rail-line, "The one with Kevin Foxner and Jody Fowlster?"
"Not now, Nick," She replied, taking a right down the line.
"What?" Nick protested, "It's a classic. Besides, the good guys win in the end. And that young Jody Fowlster, mmm-mmm-mmm..."
Judy was inclined to think Kevin Foxner had gotten better looking with age, but didn't want to encourage the fox's distraction, and said nothing. They continued walking through the deep, dark subway tunnels, lit by their cellphones and the fluttering overhead lights. After a few minutes of enduring the creepy ambience, they found their target: a large railcar, resting on its own in the middle of the tunnel. Purple light shone ominously through the windows, bathing the walls in an eerie glow.
"Looks like the place," Nick whispered, crouching down as he got up to the back entrance. He checked one of the windows, and motioned Hopps to come over - no one was inside. Judy went up and gently pulled the door. It was unlocked, opening with only the slightest creak at the end of its swing. They walked inside, closing the door behind them, and stopped in their tracks at what they saw.
Dozens and dozens of Nighthowler flowers filled most of the carriage, split into four rows of greenery stands that stood as tall as the fox. Purple overhead lights lit the room, providing the much-needed ultraviolet light for the plants to grow. The walls were lined with gardening equipment and chemistry sets, tubes filled with a suspicious purple liquid. Along one wall in particular was a map of the city, lined with pictures of dozens and dozens of mammals. It didn't take a super-detective to determine who they were.
Nick and Judy took out their phones, taking pictures and filming the entire setup for evidence. Hopps, being lower, managed to stumble upon a thick briefcase on one of the lower shelves. Opening it, her eyes went wide as she saw a paintball gun, complete with several vials filled with purple rounds the same color as the liquid in the tubes.
"Jackpot," Judy closed it again, picking it up and showing Nick, "We got them, Wilde. This is all the evidence we need to shut them down for good."
Nick was about to respond, when they heard someone walking by outside. They quickly ducked underneath the rows, huddling into the shadows as the door creaked open.
"Everything good over there?" A tall, thick ram said, speaking into a phone as he walked in. The fox and bunny held their breath as he moved past them, fiddling with the chemistry set as he continued talking, "Look, be careful with that thing. It's got enough juice in it to turn the whole concert savage. You let it go off in your car, you're dead rams."
Hopps and Wilde glanced nervously at each other. Did these guys build a Nighthowler bomb?
"I don't care WHAT Dawn thinks!" He snapped, even as he started fiddling with one of the chem sets above them, "We're going to deal with that species-traitor soon enough. You just take care of your part, and everything else will be fine."
The ram grabbed something off the table, and they heard the click of a gun loading. "I've guards manning every exit," He continued, "And all the doors will be locked. The drones won't be coming without authorization. You just wear your gasmasks and find a place to hold up, and we'll come get you once they've stopped killing each other." The ram snorted and chuckled. "Oh, I bet it'll be. Make sure to take some pictures when it's done. I always like admiring my hoofwork after a job well done."
Judy's paws balled into fists. This asshole was planning on killing hundreds, if not thousands, and enacting a coup on her city. This ram and his followers had caused untold amounts of death, pain and suffering for months, turning her childhood dream into a soul-crushing dystopia. She had to put a stop to it all.
"Oh for god's sake, quit being such a little bitch about this!" The ram shouted, walking towards the back exit. Judy got up and followed him, her steps silent and swift. Nick bit his paw, afraid of what this dumb bunny was about to do.
"All you need to do is-" The ram was cut off as he approached the backdoor. In one fluid motion, Judy jumped up, kicking him out of the train, and pulling a lever to slam the door shut as he fell out. The ram below skidded across the gravel, and the door sealed shut with a hiss.
"Hopps, what're you doing?!" Wilde shouted, getting up from his hiding spot, "Now we're trapped here! How are we gonna get this evidence to the public if he calls in his buddies on us?"
Judy looked around, considering her options. This train had to get here somehow, She thought, moving to the front of the train. There, she found a small control room, with many buttons and panels and a rather conspicuous-looking switch. She smiled, turning back to the fox. "You ever ridden a train before?"
"What kind of question is that?" Nick snapped, closing the door behind them. "Yes, I've ridden on the subway before. But this trolley hasn't moved in months, maybe even years. You can't just-"
Hopps pulled a large switch, and the cabin lurched forward as the brakes unlocked. She pushed a lever forward, and it began moving. She shot the fox a "told you so" look. Nick rolled his eyes - of course the universe would go out of its way to make her right.
"Hold on," She warned, as the train sped up, "We're taking this to the Police Station. We're putting an end to this today!"
The Peace and Love Festival was perhaps the biggest concert Zootopia had held in years. Gazelle pulled a lot of strings, used so much of her influence to get this event going, and put in a fair amount of personal funds to get this show going. But as far as the pop star was concerned, it would be worth every penny, if it helped bring the mammals together, and overcome the fear and hate that had grown and festered in her home.
Ten thousand mammals of all kinds had bought tickets, and were slowly filling up the arena. She managed to secure the permits to use one of the largest parks in the city, allowing them to host the event outdoors. Being rich and famous helped a lot, but she couldn't deny that her new paramour being bestie's with the new mayor's lover didn't make things move a little faster. Even as her assistants put makeup on her, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of Finnick. She hadn't ever put much thought in being with smaller males, but that fennec fox had quite a few tricks up his sleeves. Gazelle wasn't sure if the charming little cholo was boyfriend material or not, but she fully intended in finding out in time.
"Hee-hee-hee! That tickles! Stop it!" She glanced over to her side, where several makeup artists and assistants were putting the finishing touches on a rather large, jovial cheetah. While still a little chubbier and "green" for her typical backup dancers, Officer Clawhauser had shown amazing commitment and improvement in the brief amount of time he had to prepare. He'd even managed to fit within one of the speedos meant for her tigers, and made it work... in his own way.
"Gazelle, thank you soooo much for letting me be part of this show!" The cheetah said, as the assistants finished their work and left. "This is a dream come true!"
"The pleasure's all mine," She assured him, patting his thick biceps, "Out of all the people who applied to be our guest speaker and dancer, I'm glad my managers picked you. We need someone from the Police who can share their story and tell it how it is."
"Oh, absolutely," He agreed, "Everyone's been affected by all this crazy crap. We can't give up our freedom and community spirit because of some terrorists running around with a rage drug. What's the point in living in Zootopia if we're afraid to leave our own homes?"
"Exactly." She glanced out to the hall, where a couple of rams in police uniforms were talking rapidly. "There seems to be a lot of ram cops working lately."
"It is a little weird that so many of them are working the concert," Clawhauser added, "Bogo would always mix up the roster to avoid the appearance of favoritism, but..." His smile wavered.
"I'll have to talk with Dawn about this later," Gazelle sniffed, feeling her phone vibrate, "This doesn't send a good message." She took out her phone, reading a text from Finnick.
Bae, watch out for the rams. Bellweather's been working with the Nighthowlers. They're planning an attack on the concert.
She glanced up at the doorway, catching the two officers splitting up. WDYM? She texted back.
The Rammsteins are behind all the attacks. We just got word that they're looking to hit you at the concert. Don't trust any ram or sheep. I'm sending some guys to help you out.
Gazelle took a breath. She glanced up at Clawhauser, who'd already gotten up and was posing in front of the mirror, chuckling to himself. The show was about to begin in ten minutes, far too late to cancel and get everyone out in time. It all seemed so crazy and outlandish, but despite only knowing the fox for such a short time, she trusted what he said. And if what he said was true, she had to warn her boys.
"Hey, Clawhauser," She said, getting the cheetah's attention, "Can you bring the boys in here really quick. There's something we need to talk about..."
"C'mon c'mon c'mon c'mon!" Rocket ranted into his omnitool, as they drove through the streets at breakneck speeds. "Pick up pick up pick up pick up!" The dial tone was his only response.
"God damn it!" He swore, slamming his fist. "She's not answering!"
"What did you expect, dawg?!" Finnick retorted, speeding past intersection after intersection, as Rocket's program changed the lights and kept the streets clear. "She's in on the whole thing! She's been in it since the beginning!"
Rocket was still trying to accept the truth of the matter - not just mentally, but emotionally. That the sheep and rams were attempting to take control of the city through fear made sense to him. He'd seen it plenty of times on dozens of worlds. That someone he thought he pulled a fast one on had gone and done the same to him stung in a way he hadn't felt before. But he couldn't focus on that, not now. If he was to find and seize the Rams' HQ, he'd need more backup. Growling, he dialed a different number.
Come on, Fluffybutt, He thought desperately, Don't leave me hanging. Not now.
The phone rang. And rang again. And rang again. On the fourth ring, there was a cacophony of wind and thumping metal and heavy breathing, before he heard Judy's voice. "Rocket?!" The bunny cried out, barely audible over all the noise, "Can you call back?! Now's not a good time!"
"Hopps! Listen!" He shouted over her, "I know who's behind the Nighthowler attacks!"
"We found their hideout!" Judy replied, as metal screeched, "They tried to stop us, but we got their subway car base moving! We're being pursued, but-" There was a loud THUMP! of metal, "-I don't know how long this thing will hold up!"
Rocket worked his omnitool, triangulating their signal. They were travelling fast, crossing through the Central District. He brought up a map of all the subway and rail lines in the city, calculating which directions they could take.
"We're going to try and get this all to the station!" Hopps continued, "We're gonna blow this whole thing wide open!"
"Don't go to the station!" Rocket shouted over the noise, "Dawn and the rams are in on it! Look, I'm gonna need you to change tracks in thirty seconds, alright?"
"Dawn's what?" Nick shouted, his voice distant and barely audible on the phone.
"Nick, hold my phone!" More shuffling and scraping sounds, and then he heard Nick say, "Cottontail, where'd you get that?!"
"I grew up on a farm, Nick," She retorted, "We used slingshots to scare off birds. Now hang on!" There was a snapping sound, followed by the rumble and scraping of metal, and the line went dead.
"Shit!" Rocket checked their position again. They were going right, heading in the direction of the Museum of Natural History. "Finn, take this turn! We're going to go visit a museum!"
A dozen moving vans pulled into the already crowded parking lot of the Peace and Love Concert, paying no mind to the smaller cars they ended up smashing along the way. The doors slid open, and dozens of polar bears, arctic foxes and timberwolves hopped out, armed with bats and clubs and (in some cases) the latest models of Rocket's Zap-Guns. The two to hop off last were Koslov and Groot, overseeing the tracksuit-wearing taskforce as they made their way to the entrances.
"Alright, comrades," The bear barked out to his fellows, "This is it! This is where we make history! Today, we rise up against those sheep bastards and show the world who runs these streets!"
"I AM GROOT!" Groot declared, raising his fist to the air. The arctic mammals looked at him in confusion, then raised their fists and roared back in solidarity. Together, they made their way to the side entrances, where several ram officers had only just noticed their approach.
"Excuse me, sirs," One of them said, stepping forward with a hoof on his waist, "This way is closed to-"
ZAPZAPZAPZAP!
In a wild flurry of shots, the rams were on the ground, convulsing as electricity ran through them. One tried to get up, only to get a baseball bat to the head for his troubles. With their thick skulls, it was enough to incapacitate, but not enough to kill.
The mob made their way through the door, and were immediately buffeted by waves of deafening sounds and scents. Lights flashed from the stage a quarter-mile away, the roar of the crowd muffling the music into a cacophonous din. Some of them covered their ears and eyes for a few moments, as they struggled to adjust to all the stimulation. Groot looked around, easily the tallest of the bunch, scanning the crowd and concert for any more rams. Already, he could see several pushing through the crowds, pulling out their batons and stun-guns and pepperspray. They weren't looking to check their tickets or read them their rights, that was for sure.
Fortunately, Groot had that covered.
The Floral Colossus dug his arms into the ground, roots quickly digging and shooting forward. They undulated and rumbled forward, shooting up beneath the hooves of the approaching rams, wrapping half-a-dozen of them in thick vines. The vines intertwined into a large ball, before Groot snapped his arm free, trapping them all. As several bears and foxes moved to strike them with bats, Koslov shouted, "Leave them! There's more of them to take care of!" The mobsters glared at the rams, but they continued walking by them, following the tree's lead into the crowd.
The partiers noticed the force coming through behind them, and started moving aside to let them through. Way up on stage, Gazelle was wrapping up one of her songs, as several chiseled tigers and a slightly-chubby cheetah danced around her. More rams were starting to form up, creating a perimeter around the stage and drawing their weapons.
"People of Zootopia!" Gazelle cried out, the cheers of the raptured crowd, "There are mammals out there who want to divide us! There are mammals in here who want to divide us!" Boos rang out through the crowd. The rams bristled. Spectators noticed Groot and the mobsters approaching, and stepped aside.
"But there are heroes!" She continued, "Men and women who dedicate themselves to helping us every day! Brave souls who stand against the darkness! Heroes who don't always wear a suit or uniform! Today, there are heroes and villains among us!"
Gazelle pointed to the largest group of rams, as they were forming a block and clearing a path through the crowd. "The rams of ZPD are part of the Rammsteins!" She cried out, "They've been responsible for the Nighthowlers the whole time! THEY are the ones responsible! Get them!"
The attitude of the crowd turned immediately. All at once, mammals around them started to boo and jeer, throwing bottles and bags of food at the team. Most bounced harmlessly off their armor or shields, but some struck true on their helmets, causing them to duck and cover up. This distraction allowed Groot and Koslov's army to shrink the distance between them, and soon the arctic mammals met the armored ones in a pitched melee. The crowd, thinking that they were partiers like them, quickly joined the fray, and soon the middle of the concert became a bloody moshpit, with claws and teeth and sticks flying hard and fast.
"I AM GROOT!" Groot shouted, his limbs shooting out and slapping rams down. Around him, mammals were being maced, zapped, bashed in the head with horns and sticks and bats. Tasers crackled and zapped, howls and bleats of pain and fear and anger combined into a chorus of violence. The Floral Colossus stood in the middle of a battlefield, furry bodies crashing against him like waves of a storm.
The fate of his new home depended on him, and he wasn't going to hold back to save it...
Nick and Judy ran up the stairs, out of the subway and into the Museum of Natural History. They'd successfully managed to make the turn on the tracks, slowing the train down enough to make a jump for it with a briefcase full of Nighthowler rounds and a paintball gun in tow. The train crashed and crumpled into a barricade, but thankfully didn't explode in their faces. They checked down the line, not seeing any rams coming after them. They were following them further back down the line, but it looked like they might've lost them (in that they were so far behind they might've missed them taking the turn).
With heading to the police station now out of the question, their immediate priority was to make it outside and get to Rocket. If he could help them go public, they could put an end to this whole conspiracy today!
But when did anything go exactly as planned?
They made the final turn for the main entrance, when they saw Dawn and a pair of rams blocking the path.
"Judy!" She greeted cheerfully, "Nick! How wonderful to see you two again! How've you been?"
The fox and bunny stopped in their tracks, Hopps quickly putting the suitcase behind her (and hopefully out of view). "Oh, hey Dawn," She greeted, trying to hide her nerves, "What're, what're you doing here?"
"Funny," The ewe remarked, "I was going to ask you the same thing. You know the museum's closed today, right? And that rail line you came out of has been shut down for a year."
Nick and Judy looked at each other.
"Before either of you do something we all regret," Dawn warned, "Why don't we just take a moment to just calm down and-"
The fox and bunny turned and ran. They didn't get more than a dozen steps, before a hidden ram came at them from the side, knocking them into a pit display. They both landed with a hard THUD! Judy cried out in pain, grasping at her ankle.
Dawn sighed, rubbing her eyes with exasperation. "Why do you have to make things difficult?" She demanded, shaking her head as she approached the enclosure. "I gave you the chance to join us. I gave you the choice to stand up for the little guy. And what did you do? You left us." Dawn glared down at them down in the pit, betrayal and anger evident on her face. "You. Left. Us."
"So, what, you're just gonna kill us?" Judy demanded angrily, "Just because I didn't want to join your wannabe fascist fiefdom?!"
"We could've brought change to this world, Hopps! REAL change! Prey would never have to fear Predators hurting them ever again! There would be Order, Peace-"
"And what does Rocket have to say about all this?" Nick interrupted. Dawn stopped, her expression falling. The rams all turned to her, expecting and judging.
"You haven't told him yet, have you?" Nick pressed, smiling wickedly, "You've been sharing his gadgets and his bed, and you still haven't told him your grand master plan?"
"He's... He's just a pawn," She insisted, "A tool. A useful idiot, nothing more."
"Is he?" He challenged, "'Cause last I heard, you were spending an awful lot of time at his place. A lot of late nights, too. Makes me wonder who's playing who."
"He's just a horny little male who can't resist the aura of a powerful woman."
"Funny," Judy interjected, "I seem to remember you blushing when he touched your wool."
The rams all gasped and stepped away from Dawn. "You let a Pred' touch your wool?" One demanded, "In public?!"
"Oh yeah," Nick added, "She was making googly eyes at him every time you met. Face it, girl, you're a Predophile."
The ewe gasped, and snapped, "I am NOT a-"
She never got to finish, as one of the rams pushed her into the pit. She bounced off a tree and rolled on the dirt, ripping her suit but leaving her unharmed. They all looked back up, as the rams readied their guns at them. "What the hell, Jesse?!" She shouted.
"Sorry, ewe," The ram said, "But you've gone native on us. All that power went to your head, and you've forgotten that we gave it to you. You're just as replaceable as any other politician, and once the city hears that the mayor and star-cop were killed by a pred, they'll do anything we say."
"And once our little gift goes off at the Gazelle concert," Another added, "Everyone will be begging us to take over things. The preds will be dealt with, and the rams will be the ones calling all the shots."
"We don't need you anymore, you traitorous little whore," The first one finished, raising his gun down into the pit, "Now you can-"
CRASH!
All heads turned as a painted van crashed through the museum's front door, spinning and sliding across the marbled floor. The driver's side door opened up, and a little fennec fox leaned out to vomit, before collapsing back into his seat, moaning in pain. The passenger's side door opened, and a raccoon in an orange jumpsuit shambled out, stumbling onto the ground.
"DAWN!" Rocket shouted, getting to his feet, "DAWN! You've got some 'splainin' to do, ewe bitch!"
"R-Rocket?" Bellweather glanced back and forth between her rams, Hopps, and her bedraggled boyfriend, "Are you okay? What're you doing here?! You just crashed through-"
"You know," He cut her off, "I want to be mad over the betrayal, but the more I think 'bout it, I can't help but laugh. Here I was, thinking I was pulling a fast one on the innocent, overworked secretary who just wanted a little recognition. But nope! Turns out, she's just as much a sneaky, manipulative hustler as I am. Congratulations, Dawn! You hustled Rocket freaking Raccoon!" He clapped sarcastically, almost mockingly.
"Rocket..." Dawn couldn't look him in the eye, let alone finish her sentence.
"Hey, Fleabag!" Jesse snapped, "Turn around and head back to your lab, if you know what's good for you!"
"Don't worry, mutton chops," He replied, "I haven't forgotten about you OR that nutshot. I'll get to you dipshits in a second."
"I think that tumble of yours messed with your head, Pred," Another ram jeered, "There's four of us and only one of you!"
"Then call in another dozen and maybe we've got a fair fight," He retorted, his paw stealthily reaching for his sidearm, "If any of you have a braincell in those thick skulls of yours-"
The cyborg hero was cut off when one of those thick skulls came up from behind him, plowing into his ribs and tossing him into the pit with the others. He landed with a THUD!, rolling across the ground and stopping in front of them. Dawn started to move to him, but several guns cocked and aimed at her, and she froze. Rocket wheezed as he got up, glaring up at the ram who tackled him.
I'm going to kill that guy first, He thought.
"You can't do this to us!" Dawn protested, "I'm the Mayor! You can't run this city without me!"
"Sure we can," Jesse replied, "I can just pick any one of the lackeys I suggested you pick to fill those vacancies in the office, and run the city through them. We don't need you anymore."
"So what're you going to do?" Hopps demanded, "Kill us?!"
"Us?" Jesse laughed, "No, we won't kill you... He will." The ram raised his gun, and fired a round at Rocket. A blue ball struck and splattered across the raccoon's cheek, earning a grunt of pain. He rubbed the side of his face, his paw stained blue with bits of red blood.
He snorted dismissively. "It's gonna take more than one dose to-"
The rest of the rams raised their guns, and as a firing squad, unloaded their rounds into Rocket. Like a scene out of Robocop, he screamed as dozens of blue spots bloomed across his body. He dropped to his knees, more rounds riddling his back.
"Rocket!" Dawn and Judy shouted together. Nick grabbed them both, holding them back as the cyborg began to seize and shake. The shots petered out, and soon the museum was silent again, save for the pained grunts and growls emanating from the pit.
Rocket looked up, but it wasn't the same raccoon that looked back at them. Any light of intelligence was gone, replaced with a blank stare from black, soulless eyes. His teeth were bared in an angry snarl, blue saliva dripping and foaming. Claws were drawn, fur stood on end, and an angry, menacing growl rumbled in his throat.
This was not the Rocket they knew.
This was the Rocket his creator had wanted.
"Fuck fuck fuck fuck!" The ram swore, his hooves rapidly moving across the device. "This is bad. This is bad. This is very very BAD!" Behind him, the sounds of combat and pain were getting closer. The Ice Mob was here. Gazelle knew about the plan. Everyone was trying to get him now. He had very little time to fulfill the mission, if it was even feasible at this point. If he was going to do this, he had to do it here and now.
Deep, plodding footsteps thumped some distance behind him. That THING was coming for him. Slendermane. The Moving Tree. Rocket's pet monster. The ram wasn't going to let it get him. He plugged in some wires, typed in some commands, and pressed the button. The timer clicked on. Thirty seconds to activation. He got up to run, but the monster was already on him. With a swing on his massive limb, the ram and the box went flying, through the backstage and onto the stage proper. He and the box skidded across the stage, the crowd gasping at the sight. The ram started scrambling to the box, but a hefty cheetah in a speedo stepped in front of him.
"I don't think so, toots!" The cheetah tutted, before giving him a swift kick to the ribs. The ram fell to the side, gasping and wheezing.
Behind them, the machine began to beep.
Groot approached the device, inspecting it. On one side, a tube was filled with a thick blue liquid. Groot had been around Rocket enough to recognize the device as being an aerosol-type explosive, meant to spread the liquid as particulates as far as possible. In bright red numbers, a timer read out twenty-two seconds.
Groot didn't have to be a genius to know what would happen if that thing detonated.
He kneeled down, placing a large hand over the device. Branches grew rapidly from his arm and body, taking the shape of a dome.
"Wait, what're you doing?!" Gazelle asked, stepping back, "That's a bomb! It'll kill you!" Groot curled up around the device, only his head sticking out as his body contorted into a ball. As the bomb started to click to the final seconds, he said three words:
"We... Are... Groot..."
There was a dull WHUMP!, and for a moment a purple cloud started to seep out through his branches. There was a giant sucking sound, as the cloud went back in the large bushlike structure. A POOF! of green smoke sprayed out the top, and those closest to it caught the hint of mint and pine as it wafted in the air. Gazelle froze, but as she stood and waited, no sense of rage or fear overtook her mind. Aside from coughing away the intense minty cloud, she felt fine. Everyone did. Relief filled the crowd, as they suddenly realized they were going to live.
The thicket of branches began to shift and shake, crackling in the back. After a few moments, Groot pried himself away from the bush he made, and stood proudly on stage, grinning like a loon.
"Hell yeah, Groot!" Someone shouted from the crowd, "Groot saved us all!"
"Woo! Yay Groot!" Another mammal cried, "Groot! Groot! Groot!" Soon, a chant began to spread across the crowd, growing louder and more insistent. "GROOT! GROOT! GROOT!"
The Floral Colossus smiled, giving a tentative wave. The crowd cheered even louder. Groot smiled, as he realized he wouldn't have to hide at the warehouse anymore.
It'd be so nice to feel the sun on his bark again...
Foreign Agent detected.
Analyzing. Testoterone and adrenaline spiking. Aggression increasing. Pain receptors inhibited. Biological cognitive function impaired.
Extraction and Filtration engaged. Estimated time for 100% Detoxification: Four minutes. Auto Combat Mode engaged.
Assessing for threats. Designation: Judy Hopps. Status: Trained LEO, high agility, injured ankle. Threat Level: Minor.
Designation: Dawn Bellweather. Status: Afraid, untrained, ringleader. Threat Level: Minimal.
Designation: Nick Wilde. Status: Physical Improvement, natural weaponry, fearful. Threat Level: Moderate.
Designation: Rammsteins. Numbers: Five. Status: Armed, aggressive, trained. Threat Level: High.
Analysis: Rammsteins pose greatest threat. Prioritize and terminate.
The thing that was Rocket stared at the three trapped mammals, a deep growl and piercing stare awaking a deep, primal fear in them all. His gaze went from Judy, to Dawn, to Nick, a deep growl rumbling in his throat as he stared at each in turn. Then he looked up at the rams above him, his lips curled upwards, and his growl became a snarl.
Target acquired.
Even as the rams caught on and raised their weapons, Rocket had leapt onto the wall, scaling his way out in two massive jumps. He leaped onto one of the rams, claws and teeth bared. Before he could get a scream out, Rocket bit down on their throat, ripping it out in one go. Blood spurted out in quick jets, coating his face in red. The rams turned and fired at him, but he jumped off the dying mammal, skittering away into the darkness.
"Circle up!" The lead ram barked, raising his gun and scanning the room, "Don't let him get an opening!"
From the darkness, a vase flew out and struck another ram in the side. This was quickly followed by several shots - blue pellets hitting another ram in the unprotected face. The stricken ram fell to the ground, crying out and growling as the drug started taking effect. As the vase-struck ram raised his gun again, a spear was thrown from the darkness, striking him in the chest and pinning him to the floor several feet back.
"Where the hell is he?!" Another ram cried, stepping away from his boss, wildly swinging his guns around as he started making for the door. He didn't get very far, before he was tackled from behind, driven to the ground. Strong, sharp hands grabbed his muzzle, and pulled back. The ram screamed and struggled, desperately grabbing at those incredibly strong hands. Rocket growled, pulling with all his might. There was a wet CRACK!, and the ram went limp, hooves falling from Rocket's grip. He tossed the head away. Standing up, he looked around. Something was missing...
The air was knocked out of his chest, as Rocket was tackled into a concrete pillar. He had a moment to recognize the ram that he shot, his eyes filled with feral rage, as he was pinned against the pillar. With an angry, bleating roar, he slammed his head down upon Rocket's. Instead of the thudding sound of skull-on-skull, the room rang out with the sound of bone striking metal. The ram leaned back, momentarily stunned. Rocket bared his teeth, and slammed his head back at the ram. They fell backwards, and the cyborg was immediately on top of him. He grabbed the ram's horns, pinning him down to the floor, and started slamming his metal skull against his.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! Metal met bone again and again. The ram struggled to free himself, but the smaller raccoon proved to be heavier and stronger, and soon the terrorist became dazed from the continuous assault.
WHAM! WHAM! CRACK! SPLAT! Rocket paused, taking a moment to observe his handiwork. The ram's skull had a noticeable indentation on his forehead, where his skull had caved in. Blood pooled and leaked over his face, as he stared blankly at the ceiling. His chest still rose and fell, so he was still alive, at least. Whether life as a vegetable was a life worth living was very much up for debate.
The raccoon's head ached, as he scrambled off the body. He licked his lips, and tasted iron. Rocket tapped his head, and winced as he felt the metal through the laceration of his scalp. Blood was dripping down his head, onto his clothes, onto the floor as it mixed with the ram's. He stood there, focusing on his breathing, his mind slowly coming back to him as the drug was being filtered out of his body. Odds were he'd be sweating and pissing blue tomorrow, but he wasn't going to be that mindless beast anymore.
Still fighting off the last bits of rage, Rocket went and broke open an emergency fire hose, tossing it down the hole. Slowly and shakily, each of them climbed up out of the display, only to stop in their tracks at the sight of all the death and devastation around them. Dawn, Nick and Judy stared at the raccoon - teeth bared, breathing heavily, covered in blood - and perhaps finally understood the primal fear their ancestors had of a True Predator.
After a time, the raccoon began to relax. His fists unclenched, the snarl on his face bleeding away into an exhausted frown. With careful, controlled steps, Rocket walked up to the little ewe, staring her down. He reached for his belt, and she flinched. He paused, but pulled something out of his pouch. Rocket stepped behind Dawn, grabbing her hooves. With a click, she was bound in a zip-tie.
"Rocket..." She started, "I-"
"You have the right to remain silent," He said, flatly reciting her reciting her rights. When he finished and asked if she understood, she merely nodded, as silent tears began to fall. Task complete, he sat down between them, focusing on his breathing, the feral aura of a few minutes ago gently fading away.
"...You okay there, Rocky?" Judy asked, still eyeing him warily.
The raccoon exhaled, long and slow. "Yeah," He replied, "I will be. Thanks." He glanced over to Nick, and his expression softened a tad. "Nick..."
"Yeah?"
"I... owe you an apology," He sighed, "For what I said at the press conference."
"Did you mean what you said back then?" Nick asked.
"Oh, I meant every word," Rocket said, "But I didn't have to be a dick about it. And - if I'm being completely honest with yuh's - I might've been the teeniest, tiniest bit jealous."
The fox blinked, surprised. "Oh yeah," He continued, "I'm man enough to admit it. Your mom's still around. Mine's not. You had a childhood. I didn't. You weren't tortured and reassembled. I was. And to see you just let yourself be held down by what other people told you you had to be..." The raccoon took a deep breath, spitting out a wad of blue spit away from all of them. "I said some shit that I shouldn't have, maybe. I've got a bit of a mouth, I know that." He glanced at Nick, and smirked. "Though maybe some of the things I said were things you needed to hear."
The fox's ears flitted, as he looked down at himself. "Maybe," He admitted. "I had to take some time to figure out some things."
"You're a good dude, Nick," Rocket concluded, placing a paw on his shoulder, "You're capable of a lot more than you think you are, if you put in the work." Nick smiled, closing his eyes and resting against the wall. Rocket turned to Judy, and he smiled. "And look at you, supercop. Found their secret base, got your evidence, made your escape with no backup or weapons. All in one day. Damn impressive."
"I couldn't have done it without you guys," Judy admitted, nursing her injured ankle.
"Sure you could," He replied, "You got the evidence, didn't you? All I had was a pedo's word."
Hopps scoffed, pulling the suitcase onto her lap. "At least it's over now," She sighed, joining them against the wall, "Now we can worry about normal police stuff."
"Normal." Rocket repeated the word, considering it. He nodded, a slight smirk on his muzzle. "Yeah, I'd like normal."
"Normal it is, then." Nick agreed. There, all three sat, waiting for reinforcements to come in. Whatever else came after - no matter how crazy or mundane - Rocky knew he had a team that'd help him through it...
A/N: The computer program in Rocket's brain is obviously a bit of fanon/headcanon material.
