Chapter 6
I know this story's moving a bit too quickly, but summer's almost over for me! I want to finish this before the break's over. Thank you, and enjoy!
WARNING: This next chapter may seem disturbing and violent to some readers.
*Animalville - I own nothing associated with this word. I just thought of it.
After their tour of the hideout, they drove up to a gigantic mansion. After the guards scrutinized the limo and its passengers at the gates, the driver dropped the trio off at the front.
"Welcome to Kingzoo." Bogo held the door for the couple, and they all walked inside.
Nick whistled lowly in the foyer. "Nice place." Bogo led them to a room upstairs, where a reserved rhino was fiddling with an assortment of controls on an impressive control panel.
"So Chief," Judy spoke up briskly. "What's the agenda? What would our assignment be if we're chosen?"
"Hold on." Bogo nodded to the rhino, who regarded them with an unimpressed look. "This is Agent McHorn. Tech support."
"These are the new recruits?" McHorn scoffed. "A lion, a polar bear, a gazelle, a cheetah, a yak..." He stared down at Judy and Nick. "...And a cute little bunny and fox."
"Don't call my wife cute! Only I can call her that!"
"Nick, let me handle this." Judy turned to McHorn. "Sir, only a bunny can call another bunny cute. If another animal calls a bunny cute then, well..." She trailed off uneasily.
"I'm sorry." He did not sound very apologetic.
Bogo then interrupted them. "Agent McHorn, he is the son of Chris Wilde. She is the daughter of Bonnie Hopps. Would you please show them the updates of our current, most pressing mission?" McHorn typed on the control panel, and pictures of familiar faces appeared on the gargantuan screen before them.
"For the past few months," Bogo started, "the target and his or her cat have been kidnapping famous rulers, pop star sensations, celebrities, scientists, and professors. No one has received any leads. No one knows where they are. Based on footage we managed to collect..." The images disappeared and a video of the Bengal tiger escorting a willing and smiling blank panther popped on the screen. "...the target cleverly lures them. From news footage and this, we have sufficient evidence to believe that it's the dawn of a dangerous cult."
Judy's eyes followed the panther. He and the tiger got into a limo, and the limo sped off into the distance. Then, the video ended.
She hoped that poor panther and others like him did not end up dead.
xxx
They went downstairs, and Bogo led them to a huge door. "This is where you'll stay." He opened the door for them. "Better get some sleep. You'll need it. Goodnight." He closed the door, leaving Judy and Nick with a group of other animals in a large bedroom with seven cots.
Before the couple stood a frowning lion, a chuckling female polar bear, a curious female gazelle, a humming male yak, and a male cheetah, who was currently munching on a glazed donut. They all were wearing gray suits, except for the yak. The yak was wearing only a white towel.
Judy flushed a little. Nick was still in his green Hawaiian shirt and shorts. She was still in her wrinkly pink shirt and worn out jeans. They tried to reach their beds without making a scene, but the lion opened his mouth immediately after noticing them.
"These are the new competitors?" He asked himself incredulously. The polar bear beside him openly guffawed.
"Ha! You're dead, fluff butt!" Judy glared at her and walked confidently to her bed. Nick followed suit.
The yak peaked out from his dreadlocks and smiled at Judy. "Oh, for sure! You should go back to selling bunny scout cookies, dude!"
The lion growled at the yak. "Shut up and wear some pants, you smelly dimwit!"
"Stop it! All of you! You're all acting awfully immature." The lovely gazelle smiled warmly at Judy and kneeled to her level. "Ignore them. I'm Gazelle." She noticed Judy's ring and grinned. "Oh, you're married!"
"Yep." Nick showed Gazelle his ring and held Judy close. "To me."
The lion gagged and stomped to his bed. "Disgusting!"
The yak hummed in agreement. "Yeah, that's weird, yo!" The obese cheetah beside him shook his head.
"I don't think it is, Yax. I think it's cute. I mean, look at me... Stereotypical donut loving cheetah..." Nick chuckled at that.
The polar bear groaned irritably and settled into her bed. "Let's just go to sleep!"
Everyone did, but the cheetah had a question.
"You need an extra pillow, Gazelle?"
"CLAWHAUSR!" The lion roared. "SHUT UP!"
xxx
In the city of *Animalville, which was far from Zootopia, a lovely beach house sat beside a calm, tranquil beach. Seagulls conversed with crabs on the sea shore, and venders were selling souvenirs on that same beach where the lone house sat.
In the house, servants prepared dinner for the hostess, the feline, and their guests.
xxx
Slayer knocked the door and entered the room, Bellwether's room. "Mistress? They're here."
The sheep hopped off of her sofa and put down her mystery novel. "Excellent, Slayer! Let them in." The tiger was in a white tux, while she wore a midnight blue dress with puffy sleeves. Both neglected their usual business attire for the night. They did that for every special occasion.
Slayer opened the front door, revealing two attractive deer: singer Trixie Single and her boyfriend, Stephen Glory. Trixie wore a sparkly lavender dress, while Stephen wore a black tux.
"Trixie!" Bellwether gushed, kissing their cheeks. "And her bae, Stephan!" She released a girlish squeal as Stephen chuckled. "I'm such a huge fan, Trixie dear! Do come in!"
"I have heard you were doing something else since you're no longer assistant mayor of Zootopia," Stephen declared. Slayer helped them by pushing in their seats. "You're in the food business now, right? How are things?"
"Blueberries," Bellwether clarified, pushing her glasses closer to her face. "And it's running deliciously, thank you. Speaking of blueberries..." Her eyes shined excitedly. "We're serving blueberry pie for dessert tonight. Our treat."
Trixie looked confused. "Our, ma'am?"
"Oh, yes!" Bellwether giggled and gestured to Slayer. "I apologize for my rudeness. This is my right hoof feline." Slayer suavely took Trixie's hoof and kissed it. Then, he nodded politely to Stephen.
"So, let me run something by you guys before dinner, okay?" Bellwether beckoned Slayer and began to whisper in his ear, earning a look of distrust from Trixie. "Guard the halls," she whispered to him. "Uninvited guests may arrive and spoil the fun."
Slayer growled viciously but quietly. "Should I slash dark meat or preserve white meat?"
Bellwether sipped on her red wine and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Slash 'em. But be gentle, my pet. I just bought those figurines in the living room."
Slayer nodded and left, leaving the hostess and her guests at the table. Trixie warily watched him exit. Something did not feel right...
"Is everything alright?" Bellwether put down her glass.
"Perfect, my dear. Now about my proposition..."
xxx
For several, dull minutes, nothing happened. Then, Slayer sniffed the air. He caught a whiff of something. Unlike most tigers, Slayer had an acute sense of smell, thanks to Bellwether's experiments.
Bird. Birds... Feathery... Holding guns...
Slayer crouched on all fours and crawled slowly in the long hallway. The scent grew stronger with each step. His gold eyes were trained on the path ahead of him. He snarled to himself, desiring an entertaining pounce, ready for the defenseless animal...
Then, a phone buzzed.
xxx
When Bellwether was finished, Trixie looked absolutely appalled and disgusted.
"This is genocide!"
Bellwether just smirked. "Not entirely, my pet. We're just saving some animals from extinction. It's that simple, really."
Stephen gulped and looked down at his plate. "And... And the blueberries are supposed to guarantee that we're saved? That's... That's absurd..."
"No. Those are for just in case."
Trixie cocked her head, trembling as Bellwether stared at her. "Just in case what?"
"You don't agree and get a little rowdy," she chirped.
xxx
Slayer had the peacock's neck in his teeth before the poor bird realized his phone gave him away. With one chomp, the bird was dead.
Slayer examined the corpse. The peacock wore a police officer's uniform and was ready to call for backup. His walkie talkie had skittered across the hall when Slayer slammed his body into the wall.
"Police officers, eh? Clever families..." He saw a flash of brown and crept darter down the hall. Then, he pounced, catching the peahen officer by her tail and grabbing her into a choke hold.
"Who sent you?"
The peahen gulped. "I -"
"WHO?!" She screamed as Slayer bit into her neck, drawing blood.
"Stephen's family. Please don't -" He snapped her neck without so much as batting an eye.
"Two cops. Pathetic."
xxx
Trixie heard the screaming first and leapt from her seat to the door.
"What was that?"
Bellwether immediately jumped out of her seat and pressed her body against the door, preventing Trixie from opening it.
"Don't go in there, my dear! It's absolutely horrific! We're still renovating and -"
"Get out of my way!" Trixie was frightened and a little tired. She really just wanted to go home. But first, she needed to find out what was going on in that insane sheep's head.
Bellwether stepped aside, and Trixie opened the door and screamed. Blood coated the hall's floor, the blood of two officers. Slayer was in the pool of blood, licking the blood off his claws.
Slayer grinned sardonically at Trixie's horrified expression. "I hate to meet you under such slippery circumstances, beautiful." Stephen gulped and turned away from the gore, and Trixie vomitted.
"We can make this all disappear," Bellwether cooed. "Just agree to our simple demands. Take the shots and you're immune."
Trixie just cussed at the sheep and spat near her hooves.
"Classy." Bellwether shook her head disappointedly at Trixie and turned to Stephen. "How about you?" Stephen shrugged and then nodded.
"It'll do." Trxie gasped and grabbed his arm.
"Stephen? Baby?! What are you doing?!"
"Preds have to be stopped."
"And this is the way to do it?!"
Stephen glared at her as if he had betrayed her. "I don't want to turn savage or be locked up!"
"It will have to be the latter for you," Bellwether told Trixie. "Take her away, Slayer."
