Heroes of Zootopia
Chapter 12 "Heathens"
By DragonMan1997
Zootopia © Disney
Gloria Swinton stared out the window of the mayor's office. "One thing these pests know how to get right. A decent view." The phone at her desk rang to life. "What now?" Swinton picked up the phone. "Hello. - Yes I know it's been a week since the conference. - You stress too much. - Ha! The ZPD is too sluggish to get anywhere. You know as well as I. Laziness is a trait in mammals. - Please. The Empire's a joke. Yeah, I read the paper. The Grasshopper won't be a problem when my guys in the ZPD are done."
She was too busy talking to notice the miniature horse poking his head through the door. Sebastian stayed quiet. Swinton was facing the window and didn't see him.
"Hastiness was what almost killed us last time. - Those terrorists, that-? No. Who's going to find out? They're trash, nobody's going to believe them. - I know you don't want animals to know we want to exter-." Gloria stopped at a skuff.
Sebastian froze as he cursed inside at his slippery hooves.
"I'll have to call you back." Swinton set the phone down and smiled at Sebastian. "Oh, look at my Sebastian over here. Look at him. Are you the greatest?" She beckoned him to come in.
Sebastian stepped forward, files in tow. "I got those reports you asked for. The tiger outside gave them to me."
"Good. Good, Sebastian." Swinton took the files from him. "Another Raise for your wonderful cooperation."
Sebastian stiffened. He felt like a pet with the way the mayor called him good. Good boy, good mindless Sebastian. He wanted to get out. He wanted to escape.
"Also. I looked into your living conditions, and have found them to simply be unacceptable. I've acquired a penthouse a the Buffalogate Tower. Also, there's a new car for you in a spot with your name on it. Only the best for my friend." Swinton ruffled his mane as she handed Sebastian a set of keys.
Sebastian felt his senses go numb at the sight of the name on the keys that was obviously foreign and expensive. "Why are you doing this?"
"Loyalty should be rewarded." Swinton smiled. "And between you and me, you're probably the only competent male around. You don't possess the toxic masculinity of these airheads, these hotshots in suits."
There was a certain note of pride that swelled up in Sebastian. He remembered why he got into Swinton's election campaign. She had always had opposition from crooks like Howlerson, Lionheart, and Wooley. They said her pretty little mind couldn't handle the harsh reality of running a government. "You showed them who was boss, didn't you."
Sebastian smiled as he drove to his new apartment. The car was cherry red, electric, and had way too much power behind it than was needed for his commute to city hall. Passing the keys to a valet, Sebastian was almost jumping with excitement as he entered the glamorous building where animals of high esteem and deep pockets tipped their metaphorical hats to him. The elevator seemed to be lined with gold with buttons like rubies next to each floor number. The ride to the ninety seventh floor was tantalizing despite the soothing jazz that poured from the elevator's sound system.
With a ring and a ding, the doors opened to reveal a dark maned mare in a tight skirt and jacket. "Sebastian?"
Sebastian felt bubbly with how the mare said his name. "Hello, uh-."
"I'm Alicia. Follow me so I can show you to your place." The way the mare looked at him, it was blood boiling.
Sebastian dumbly followed her out of the elevator. "Yes."
Alicia let him down a hallway with red carpet and crystal chandeliers. "Tell me, Sebastian, do you have anyone else that will be joining you here that needs a key. A companion? Partner? Lover?"
The swaying mare's hips almost completely distracted Sebastian from that question. "Well, not really."
Alicia smiled as she stopped at Sebastian's room, room thirteen. "Perhaps I could fix that." Unlocking the room and stepping inside, Alicia winked at Sebastian.
Sebastian's jaw dropped at the wide open view of the city. The massive glass panels almost looked like one giant piece. The walls were crimson with charcoal carpets. The white paneled kitchen area had granite countertops similar to the charcoal carpets. A grand silver chandelier hung from the partially domed ceiling. Each crystal looked like a star.
In the kitchen, Alicia was cutting up vegetables. "I thought I would make some lunch before showing you the rest of the apartment. We could start with the bedroom after we eat."
Sebastian loosened his tie. He looked out over the city through the glass. "It's a bit hot in here." He looked at the cars below. Life was bustling ninety six stories below him.
"Are you hot?" Alicia turned on the water and garbage disposal as she threw vegetable skins into the sink.
Sebastian turned as he heard a clank and a scraping sound that made his gut jump. "Alicia?" He saw that she had accidentally dropped the knife in the garbage disposal, blade up. "Here, let me get," Alicia was already reaching for the blade with her bare hand, "wait. No!" Sebastian shielded his eyes as a bright flash nearly blinded him. When his eyes cleared, he struggled to gasp at the sight before him.
Alicia's hand was gone, and in its place was a metallic stump along with sparking wires and gushing amber fluid. "Maybe, lunch can wait." There was nothing but calmness in her voice. "I can see you're stressed. Maybe we could loosen things up in the bedroom."
"Stay back!" Sebastian picked up an aluminum chair as Alicia approached him.
"I'm not giving up," Alicia's voice began degrade, "r-until-til-til r-your r-needs r-are r-sat-sat-satisfied."
Sebastian threw the chair at her head. He threw up when he saw that her face ripped off to reveal a mess of wires, metal jaws with real looking teeth, and glassy eyes that dripped with more of that amber fluid.
"R-you r-could r-have r-asked, r-if r-you r-didn't r-like r-my r-make r-up, srilly."
Sebastian crawled backwards as it towered over him.
"R-What's r-wrong? R-loooverrrrrr boooooooyyyyyy." Alicia's speech slowed down until she went stiff, not moving any more.
Sebastian stood up and wiped his mouth of his former breakfast. "What the?" He pushed alicia over and cringed at the metal crunch her impact made.
"Sorry about that."
Sebastian jumped and screamed when he saw Swinton and two more mares. "Gloria?"
Swinton shook her head. "I'm terribly sorry about the inconvenience, my friend. The older models were supposed to be decommissioned on this floor."
One of the mares, in a tight maintenance uniform, carried Alicia's body away. The other mare looked almost exactly like Alicia, except her mane was blonde. She walked up to Sebastian and rubbed his shoulders. "It's going to be okay. I'm Carrie."
Sebastian melted as Carrie worked his shoulders, releasing tension. He didn't even notice falling into her lap as she continued to work his shoulders. His mind woke up telling him, Snap out of it! It was too late as he felt Carrie's arms slip around him in places he could never feel comfortable again with. She was warm, but her breath was cold. He tried to break free, but he couldn't break from the mare whose arms had the strength of an elephant somehow.
"Relax Sebastian, my friend. I know how hard it is for a horse of your stature to find love, but there's no need to worry about that now. Love is a shallow thing. It's a misinterpretation of one's biological instincts, to breed and reproduce. Carrie will take care of that need for you now." Swinton picked up Alicia's face and tossed it near the door. "I like you, Sebastian. You're good company. And, I don't want anything to happen to you."
Sebastian could smell the crickets on her breath, and something else that wasn't natural to be coming out of anyone's mouth. He almost gagged when Swinton got close to him. He turned away, shutting his eyes, trying to control his stomach.
"I'll give you everything you've ever wanted. You can do whatever you desire, and no one will ever look down on you or argue with your word." A twisted smile spread across Swintons face as she opened her mouth.
Sebastian yelped as a long skinny tongue swept up his neck and across his face. He knew there was no way in the deepest darkest pit that that was the tongue of a pig. It was something else.
"Don't be a square Sebastian." Swinton stepped away, towards the door. "You know what? You deserve a paid vacation. I can see you're on edge. Cool off for a while. Enjoy the company." The pig strolled through the door, closing it behind her.
Carrie loosened her grip on Sebastian who bolted for the door. He struggled to open it, but it wouldn't budge.
"Sebastian?"
Sebastian looked up at Carrie who stretched out her arm to him. She looked sad somehow. It actually hurt him. "I know you want some space, but would you mind if we cozied up on the couch, maybe watch the news. Whatever you like."
"You're a machine." Sebastian snapped. He knew she was, but the look on her face made him want to crawl into a hole for what he said.
She wiped a tear away. "So are you. You have a computer, a brain. You have electricity, blood." She gently held his arm. "Please."
Sebastian felt his will cave as he stepped forward, his conscience screaming at him. And yet, he walked Carrie to the couch where she spooned him like a stuffed animal. He didn't like it, at first. Then Carrie wrapped her arms around his torso, holding the remote to the hundred and ten inch screen in front of him. She turned it on and handed him the remote. ZNN was on.
Sebastian sighed as Carrie untied his tie. He hated that it was almost comfortable, almost real.
"Police are on site at the Clarabelle Apartment Complex, investigating the death of up and coming Journalist, Daisy Pronger. The doe had graduated from high school less than a month ago, already in an internship at Zootopia Times. Her first major Article, 'My Date With a Superhero' had just been released this morning, only hours before the police got the call. The editor in chief, Lily Wolff, has expressed her condolences to the grieving single father who lost his only daughter."
Sebastian sunk into Carrie's form.
"Wanna change the channel?" She asked, stroking his arm.
Sebastian shook his head as the sleepless face of a snow leopard filled the screen.
"...everyone she worked with, loved her. They said she was the brightest. I believe that. And, everyone here at Zootopia Times is praying for her father."
Sebastian felt numb as he forgot, more and more, that a machine was holding him. His conscience was getting quieter. How could a machine be so warm?
"We have received word that it is believed that this is in fact a crime scene, that Miss Pronger's death was not accidental, nor a suicide. A white-raven mask has also been found at the crime scene, leading officers to believe that the cyber terrorist that took over ZNN might be connected."