Heroes of Zootopia

Chapter 10 "In The Face Of Evil"

By DragonMan1997

Zootopia © Disney

Lily nodded to herself as she talked over the phone. "I know. - No. I don't care if she got the interview with him. - The court house was just blown up. - I understand, but people want answers about the courthouse. They're not interested in another superhero's story right now. - It's good? - Okay. Put it on my desk and if the aftershock of the attack on the court house subsides, I'll take a look at it. - Yes! - Bye." She hung up the hallway phone and turned to see Adam pulling his infamous old beanie over his ear stumps. She found it odd that he had begun the habit again of hiding his mutilated ears. For ten years he never hid them. Why now?

"Work?" The wolf weakly held out his paw to Lily who snatched it up.

Lily held his paw in hers like her life depended on it. Something was up. And, there was was no word from Savage about anything to do with the courthouse. "Yeah. I got word of an interview with your speedster vigilante. I'll give you the interview for the Empire's file on him."

Adam nodded as he worked up the strength to ask the itching question on his brain. "Lily, I know we haven't spoken much since that night. I know how upset you were."

Lily shook her head and yanked that stupid beanie off of her husband's head. Before he could even ask his question. "Don't make it sound like I'm filing for a divorce. Don't you remember me kissing you?"

"I almost died."

"Doesn't matter." Lily sent the beanie into a ball of fire, incinerating it. "I'm still mad, but I still love you. And when I agreed to for better or for worse, I meant it. Besides, the world needs us again."

The tone of his wife's voice made Adam tighten his hold on her paw. "You think something is coming?"

Lily believed something was coming. From her time in that dark counterfeit copy of the world where Novus Purificatio ravaged the world, she knew something was coming. "You remember the timeline I told you about?"

Adam sighed. He remembered rescuing Lily from some NP facility where her powers mysteriously showed up. Something triggered those powers. But, he was still skeptical of what. "I remember. But, that still could have been a dream from what they did to you."

"No." Lily shook her head. "It was real, and so much was wrong with it. Plasma weapons, the whole world in ruin. Holes in stories that made no sense. It made no sense that the NP's destroyed the world as much as they did in that future."

"It was war." Adam entertained Lily's story to get to the point of where she was going with it. "There's always destruction in war."

Lily shook her head as she recalled the nightmarish images. The shattered buildings, the burned earth, and the black sky all protested assumptions she had previously made. "Skyscrapers were torn apart. Most of the green had died. There were bunkers like-." She felt sick to even think of the power of the atomic bomb. "Maybe there was another war that no one saw in the beginning. Maybe that's where the plasma weapons came from."

Adam pulled Lily closer. "Everytime you talk about it, it seems like it wasn't a dream."

Lily recalled that dark place's reality. There Adam had been dead, died in a war that was no longer relevant to their time. "I wish it was only a dream."

Tire screeches diverted their attention to the nearest window. They both watched as an ambulance skid to a halt in front of the Empire headquarters. In the distance a cop car was catching up. Out of the ambulance, Nick Wilde fumbled out while holding an IV stand and bag. He had his uniform pants pulled over a hospital gown along with his shirt over one arm. The fox heard the siren behind him and darted for the entryway.

Adam groaned. "This should be interesting."

Nick waved his ID at the secretary who acknowledged permission to enter the building. It wasn't until Nick boarded the nearby elevator that the secretary realized his appearance and heard the sounds of a screaming rabbit. Nick violently tapped the "close doors" button repeatedly in the elevator. He heard Judy call his name and bang on the doors as they closed just before she could reach him. Nick peeled out of the elevator with IV in tow once he reached the floor he wanted. "Savage! Adam!" He turned down a hall and found one of the animals he was looking for. "Adam."

"Nick! What the heck are you doing here?" Adam's voice was followed by Lily's.

"Nick?" She looked the frantic fox up and down. "What are you-?"

The doorway to the stairs slammed open. "Nick!" It was Judy.

"I'm never gonna forget my name after today," Nick muttered.

Judy yanked on the fox's arm. "You need to get back to the hospital. You just had a heart attack!"

"Woah, what?!" Adam's eyes darted back and forth between Nick and Judy.

"It wasn't a heart attack. Look at my family's medical history, no cases of heart attack or heart failure anywhere. I was poisoned. It happened to Bogo and it happened to me too!" As bad as Nick felt for slapping Judy's paw away, his resolve was firm. "The attack on the Courthouse, it was the Raven."

"What?" Lily's eyes went dead fish at that statement.

"Nick." Judy grabbed Nick by the collar of the hospital gown. "The Raven is dead. She is dead!"

Nick looked at Adam and Lily who waited with bated breath for further information. "Veni, vidi vici." The fox nodded as Lily started to shake. "You know those words. She said them didn't she?"

"That's impossible." Lily grabbed at Adam who held onto her. "I watched her die."

Nick felt sorry for being the bearer of bad news. He new that the Raven, Kit (Katherine) Fawkes, was her friend. "What happened to her body?" Regardless, these coincidences could not be ignored.

"Nick, that's enough!" Judy shook her partner. "Do you hear yourself?"

"Show them the masks!" Nick snapped.

Judy reluctantly pulled her phone out and pulled up photos sent to her by Q from evidence. She held her phone up to Adam and Lily. Both nearly gasped.

Lily's eyes locked on the screen as she asked, "Where did you get these?"

Adam nodded. "That looks like her mask, but why is it white?"

Nick cleared his throat. "The ZNN station. Didn't you see the broadcast? It was a hack, nearly every device in Zootopia got it."

Adam shrugged. "This building's system is so advanced, I'm sure even it's firewalls have firewalls. My phone's dead, and Lily left hers at home."

Lily got in Nick's face. "What broadcast?"

It didn't take long to find a copy of the video online since people flooded the internet with copies of everything that became trendy. Nick was resting in the Empire's infirmary upon Judy's request. He could hear them in the next room listening to it. Nick took to watching the television in the infirmary, which he was thankful for. It was all over the news, the courthouse, the white Raven masks. Nick flipped through the channels. He flipped through ad after ad until one caught his eye.

"...certified operating system guarantees satisfaction. This state of the art hologram system is nine years in the making since we first released our first digital companions oversees." The commercial cut to a customer interview. "With the digital companion, I've gotten a better hold on my life. And, it was an even bigger help getting me through my depression."

Nick remembered the little holographic AI's that were released overseas to combat depression and suicide among masses of single mammals. He believed it was a joke when they first came out. But then, they became popular. They got cheaper and cheaper. And soon there was the home interface system that basically gave you a smart house in the guise of a faux friend, companion, that could turn the dishwasher on for you because you're too lazy. Robot girlfriend, Nick muttered.

"...hundreds of species models, both male and female to suit your daily needs in virtual companionship. All for a lowered price of…"

Nick turned the TV off when Judy, Adam, and Lily came into the infirmary to convene with him. He could hear the end of the speech on Judy's phone.

"And to you, Mayor Swinton, you should have killed me when you had the chance."

Nick saw confusion plastered over Lily and Adam's face. "So? Do you believe it's her?"

Lily folded her arms. "I'm not sure. Flecks of words sound similar, but it's like a different person."

"Not to mention the size compared to the others with her." Adam explained. "Whoever it is, they're too big to be a fox."

Nick could tell something was off. "Lily, you're thinking something."

Lily made herself smaller digging her hand deeper under arms. "When we were in high school. Kit was big into anarchy type stuff. She'd ramble on about government conspiracies. Said the moon landing was faked. Stuff like that."

Nick nodded in thought. "That seems to fit the architecture of the speech."

"The moon landing wasn't faked." None of them noticed Jack savage as he entered the infirmary. "But, the broadcast was." The jack rabbit walked over to Nick and pulled out a needle. "Let's keep this between ourselves shall we. Secrets are kept for a reason. We will neither confirm nor deny the mysterious reappearance of the Raven. There would be mass panic. Whoever this white raven is, has not made their identity known - only that Swinton has wronged them somehow." Savage injected the needle's contents into Nick's IV bag.

Adam nodded without question. "Yes sir."

Lily was not as indoctrinated as her husband. "Hang on. You're saying we should lie to the public?"

"Not lie, simply withhold information. Your husband followed that order with you, and for years you never needed to worry about his life or any other peril he faced because you believed everything was normal." Savage set the needle on a nearby tray. "You both withhold your true selves from your children to protect their peace of mind. Surely you must understand the principle. Individuals awake to common sense are smart, but bandwagon masses are incredibly stupid, dangerous, and a hazard to themselves."

Lily said nothing more.

Savage flicked the IV bag. "This should get Officer Wilde on his feet. The Mayor expects that ridiculous show and tell session with the press tomorrow. So, we must be cautious with what we say." He handed Adam a file. "This white Raven has been around longer than we think."

Adam looked at the file. The realization his him. "The ghost vigilante."

Nick tried to remain calm as the crown gathered in the conference hall. Answer their question with a question, and answer that question. Nick struggled to coach himself. Though he had all the advice to give, doing it himself was different. This was usually Judy's job, but they were both involved with the Empire now. He saw the reporters and news people all taking notes before anything had begun. Judy was the only one sitting next to Nick.

There were six empty seats, on the stage to their right. One for Swinton, Savage, Whiplash, the Phoenix, the Moth, and Crystal. Savage suggested that Peter and Bellwether stay in the shadows a little longer since they had an unsavory history, especially Bellwether. Whiplash was already in good standing with most of the public. And, the Moth was a bit of an internet legend in his own right.

Mayor Swinton finally entered. Everyone stood, even Judy, but Nick refused to stand. He remembered what the white Raven said about her. It made Nick exceptionally more suspicious of her character. Swinton made eye contact with him. Immediately Nick was smiling and clapping, only to avoid her suspicion. Nick couldn't believe who was following her. It was Savage, only he was in his old disguise that Nick first knew him as. The hyena in the black suit was Jack's alter ego, Frank Savage. How the hyena costume worked was beyond Nick's understanding, but he didn't need to understand it. He just needed to roll with it.

"Hello, Zootopia." Mayor swinton smiled as people applauded her. "Thank you, thank you so much for joining us tonight in this momentous occasion. I wanted to start off by recognizing how afraid some of you must be. After this digital hacking terrorist made the absurd claim that a premature demolition was an act of terrorism, who wouldn't be afraid. Fear is usually always with us. But now, we just don't have time for it. Not now!" The pig motioned for the crowd to settle down after a roar of cheers.

Nick whispered to Judy, "What a ham."

Swinton went on. "For a long time now there has been distrust with the government, but today I hope to sway that opinion with the cooperation of the mammal in charge of Project Empire. After all, I've said it time and time again. Cooperation is better than conflict, and unity is more important than division. My fellow Zootopians, it is my privilege to introduce the Director in charge of Project Empire, please give a warm welcome to Frank Savage!"

There was a bombardment of photos and clapping which seemed enough to make Savage uncomfortable, even in disguise. Nick could tell. "Hehehe. That's quite the introduction, Gloria. I'm sure I can scarcely match your showmanship as I introduce my esteemed colleagues." Savage gestured to the empty spots on the stand. "Would you please take your seats?"

Cameras began to flash.

Nick leaned forward to see them as they entered. Whiplash came in first, eliciting a hushed excitement from the crowd that evolved into applause that was louder than the round given to Swinton. Behind him was the Moth, whose Empire worthy upgrades gave him even more of a terrifying presence than before. A sharp glance from him brought out a few "woahs" from some of the camera operators. The Phoenix came in next, and Nick laughed inside at some comments about her sense of fashion. Lastly, Crystal came up. There were a few murmurings about her, due to the fact that every exposed part of her body was covered in bandages, and her tail had a hot pink sleeve on with black polka dots.

Savage looked to Crystal before sitting down. "If you please, feel free to show your true colors. Hehe, or lack thereof."

Crystal took off her kepi and began to unwrap her face. News reporters asked their camera men if they were capturing the sight of the mammal disappearing before their eyes. Crystal laughed as she tossed her bandages behind her. "Now you see me…" There was a whistle from the crowd, and a few laughs. "We'll talk later, darling." A train of oh's carried through the conference hall.

Savage smiled. "Hehehe, my apologies everyone. Miss Crystal's abilities have given her a personality of…"

"An acquired taste." The Phoenix finished.

Crystal put her kepi back on so the crowd could see where she was looking. "I'm not apologising."

The moth tapped his microphone. "So, I have a confession to make. I'm actually a genius billionaire. That's right. I am Ironfox." There was a bubbly laugh from the crowd as animals took note of the Moth's humor.

Savage spoke up. "I'm sure the public would like to know their tax payers' dollars are going to more than witty remarks."

"Are there any questions for these remarkable animals?" Swinton's question lead to a wave of hands raising. "Yes you in the front."

A young racoon stepped forward. "This is a question for Whiplash. Where did you go after the radicals known as Novus Purificatio were defeated?"

Whiplash calmly responded. "I was recruited by Mister Savage to serve as a part of Project Empire, engaging in spec ops missions to preserve this nation's security."

"Well put." Savage added. "Next." He passed the imaginary talking stick to another.

A beaver stepped forward. With a microphone connected to a news camera. "Is it true that the Raven is the one that hijacked the ZNN studio?" The crowd buzzed to life at that question.

Nick could see through their masks. He didn't see Whiplash and the Phoenix, he saw Adam and Lily. He saw in that split second that they would struggle. So, he stepped in. "As one of Project Empire's coordinating officers on the case, I can tell you there is no evidence to support that claim." Nick looked at Judy, who was surprised by his response to the question. Seeing her reminded him of how used he was to lying. "Furthermore, whoever this would be cyber terrorist is, the mammal in question will face justice at the hands of the Empire." Nick could feel Judy watching him, as though it was more shameful for him to lie than the rest of the Empire. "Next question."

A jaguar stepped forward. "Can we see a demonstration of abilities?"

Whiplash stood up. Looking at the jaguar, he asked her to produce a business card or receipt she wasn't attached to. Once she had a paper in hand, Whiplash did a standing backflip over his chair. Mid air, he used ancestor's whip to slice the jaguar's paper in half. Sticking the landing to his flip, Whiplash used his whip to yank a wireless mic from a reporter's grasp. He tapped the microphone to check it. "Is that a good enough demonstration?" He tossed the mic back to the reporter.

The crowd looked to the Moth. "Oh. Me." He activated tasers that sent sparks flying from his knuckles and finger tips. Standing up he showed off the wingspan of his new glider system, courtesy of Project Empire. "I would show you more, but legally everything else is for criminals." His no nonsense tone garnered a stiff silence from the crowd.

The Phoenix stood up and kept moving up into the air. Ethereal waves of light formed into spiraling patterns that vanished after colliding together.

Crystal looked at the crowd. "I don't need to show off. You get the picture, crystal clear."

Nick watched the whole show. He answered the handful of questions he was asked. Through the whole thing he kept his eye on Swinton and Savage. Neither looked each other in the eye. Someone had a knife for someone's back, and they both knew it. There was the silence from Judy who seemed to avoid his glance. Something bad was coming. Something awful. And while these reporters wasted their times asking petty questions about what color underwear these animals had, they were missing the bigger picture. Swinton was parading the Empire for some reason. She was steering their attention away from the white Raven. But why?

As the audience got excited about some of the responses, Nick took note of the crowd. He froze and kept still without any sign of emotion eluding to what he saw. In the very back. A hooded figure in white lowered their hood to reveal a white Raven mask. The figure did nothing, just stared back a Nick shaking their head. In the blink of an eye, the figure was gone from Nick's sight.

Swinton was saying something, something that captivated the crowd's attention. Nick ignored it. It was probably some politician's lie.

"I'd like to make a statement." Nick stepped on whatever speechcraft Swinton had prepared. All cameras and eyes were suddenly on him. Savage, Swinton, and the Empire looked at him. Judy finally looked at him. "People, these mammals are here to help you. They are, for all intensive purposes, superheroes who can make the world a better place. Don't dismiss them as political pawns. You have an opportunity here, to live in a world where great evil meets its match with an even greater good. You are privileged to have mammals like these who care so much about your safety and well being, more so than any politician who marches in with false promise." Nick saw the twitch in Swinton's face, but that was undermined by the more important look from Judy who was smiling. "I'd hope that you don't waste this opportunity by betraying these mammals' trust. Some have given up their lives for you. Sacrificing time with their families, they do it for you." Nick had to breath as he almost choked on his words. The words that spilled from his mouth echoed from his past. They were also for his own heros. They were for his mother who did all she could, for his father. Nick eyed his greatest hero, and friend. He held back the itching in his brain from Judy. "Don't squander that gift." Nick looked at the astonished crowd one last time. "That's all I had to say."

Nick walked off the stage as Swinton announced an impromptu intermission. The fox darted onward, deeper into the Conference building, through the kitchen and into the back alley. There he bent over as his breaths sporadically came and went. No it wasn't a heart attack, not in the traditional sense, but rather in the emotional sense. "What am I thinking?" He spoke to no one in particular. Maybe he was talking to that mammal in the sky, if he existed, maybe he was listening. "Just a dumb fox." He kicked the dumpster. "Dead, not dead. I've had enough of you Kit!" He kicked the dumpster again. "Why Judy? Why her. Why is it her?!" He kicked again, yelling. "Why a fox?" Now he was talking to that mammal in the sky. "What'd I ever do to you?!" He kicked the dumpster with his other foot three times. "Old. Not enough time. Why am I a," he muttered a curse, "fox!" He cried out again as he slammed the dumpster with his shoulder, knocking over a can. From the can a glass bottle filled with amber liquid rolled to the fox's feet.

Nick laughed at the sky, practically mad. "That's a nasty trick." He made sure there was no one around. He didn't want Judy to see him like this. Anyone but her. "Nasty thing to do, to an old fox who got it bad for the impossible." He picked up the bottle. Cracking open the lid, the smell nearly knocked him out of sanity as a darkside screamed, drink! The fox tossed the cap. His tongue felt dry, thirsty for more relief from complications in racial identity.

Before a drop could make it to Nick's mouth, a white light wrapped around the bottle and took it from him.

Whiplash looked at the bottle. "Not even a good year Nick." He tipped the glass bottle over pouring its contents onto the ground.

Nick completely lost it and dived for the drink bound for the drain.

Whiplash grabbed his paws and held him back. "Nick, stop." The fox struggled to lick the dirty filth he'd dragged his paws through. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Nick stretched his neck, tongue hanging from his mouth as he reached for something, anything left in his paws to get a buzz.

Whiplash dragged him back in side and found a sink full of soapy water. He dropped Nick face and hands it. The fox collapsed the moment he came up from the water.

Nick's paws were clean, his eyes red, and his mouth filled with the awful bitterness of soap.

Whiplash looked around the kitchen. There was no one except the Phoenix who watched. "Lock down this room." The Phoenix complied with his request, stepping out, she sealed the whole room. "Nick." Whiplash pulled his mask off.

Nick's one paw was pickled, reaching for an invisible drink. "I need."

"No, stop it. Darn you!" Adam grabbed Nick's paws. "Look at me!"

Nick's red and green eyes blankly stared up at the wolf. "I can't do it." His face completely puckered. His eyes began to swell, not from the soap alone. "I can't say it. We're not-."

"Not? Not what?" Adam pat Nicks face to pull him back to reality.

Nick reached into his pocket. "Not the same." He stared at the photo he dropped. His eyes were too puffy to get a clear look.

Adam picked up the photo of Nick and Judy, on valentines day. It was years old, before they split up. Adam cringed with his own heartache as he saw the note from Judy on the back.

Nick banged his head against the counter until Adam pulled him into a headlock. "Not the same!"

Adam commanded his whip to keep Nick's legs from flailing and kicking. The fox had almost brought down a box of knives on them.

"I'm sorry Nick."

Adam looked up and saw another standing in the kitchen. It was a tiger. Tied to his belt was a familiar looking post office cap. And, his face was obscured by a white Raven mask. "Hobbes?"

He looked older. "I'm sorry, Nick." The tiger ignored Adam.

Adam furrowed his brow. "What did you do?"

The tiger looked up at the wolf. "I'm sorry, Adam."

"What did you do? Adam Hobbes, what did you do?" Adam Wolff struggled more to keep Nick contained. "I trusted you!"

The tiger walked for the back door. "What more could I have done?"

Adam looked to the other door. "Phoenix!"

The Phoenix slipped through the door.

"Keep the doors locked and hold Nick." Adam released Nick to the Phoenix's powers, pulled his mask on, and ran outside. He saw Hobbs closing a door. Running to the door, he yanked it open. Whiplash stepped back as the only thing behind the door was the brick wall of the building it was attached to. "What?" He spun around, looking for the tiger. He was nowhere. Turning back around, the door was gone.

Whiplash thought he was going as crazy as Nick. Then he heard the whimpering voice of the tiger, Adam Hobbes, floating away on the wind. "What more could I have done?"