Hello there! I have to say, I'm surprised at all the attention this fic has been garnering. I'm very pleased that so many of you seem to like it! Again, thank you for reading, it means a lot to me. One of you has asked if there will be any humans in this story, and I have to say no to that. I've already storyboarded the whole thing and there isn't any room for mankind. If I was going to do a fic with humans in it, you'd know from the very beginning. I wouldn't just spring that on you.

Anywhoo, that answers that question. Let's get back to the fic now, shall we?

Our Finest Hour

Chapter 5: Home, Sweet Home

Crimson flowed down from my paws with the rushing water. Washing them furiously clean of blood, I shuddered as memories of the day began to resurface. Shortly after watching them cart off the black hood, I leapt into action. To my surprise, and that of the Predators that surrounded me, I quickly took control of the situation. Barking out orders, I found myself without gloves and only mediocre medical equipment. It had to be enough. It wasn't enough. I remember the screams of my patients as I extracted shrapnel from their bodies without anesthesia, using only moonshine as a disinfectant. I cringed at the thought of infections setting in. Happytown was in dire need of medicine, and the convoy had been destroyed…

Sighing, I felt my ears start to droop from exhaustion and low spirits. Looking up into the bathroom mirror, I saw a tired hare with bags under her eyes. Her speckled white fur was disheveled. Flecks of blood littered her face. At least I was alone in the dirty bathroom. Most of the stalls were missing their doors. Some were even boarded up. Tile that was probably once white was now yellow with grime and mildew. The lights overhead flickered occasionally. This place was a dump, most likely just a small taste of what Happytown had to offer. I heard the door creak open on rusted hinges.

Quickly splashing water on my face and giving a rub to dislodge the blood, I turned around and eyed my visitor. It was none other than the Talons' namesake, a muscular white wolf in all black. One of his ears was just straight up missing. That must have been painful.

"This is the women's restroom, if you don't mind." I said coolly to him. Talon grinned.

"No one cares about those distinctions in Happytown, darling. I like your fire though." He smirked. I rolled my eyes and reached over to tear off a few paper towels from the dispenser. Wiping down my face and paws, I tossed the sopping wet paper in the trash. Talon stood watching my every move. "I hear you really took charge back there. It's a pleasant surprise that they sent someone with backbone this time." Coming to stand before him, I looked up to meet his gaze.

"I just did what needed to be done." Talon didn't need to know that I'd nearly pissed my pants. That I was so scared I almost froze up and went catatonic. My words did hold some truth though. The only reason I didn't do either of those things was because the task at hand had to be done. I had to be strong, or mammals would die. Talon smiled.

"Put her there." He extended a paw, expecting me to take it. I did, only reluctantly. He shook my paw vigorously, nearly tearing the arm from my socket. "That's what I like about you. You're very no-nonsense." I shrugged. Talon let go of my paw and gestured for me to follow him as he left the restroom. Trudging along in his wake, he held the door open for me like a proper gentlemammal. I rolled my eyes at his sweet smile. I wasn't expecting the leader of a terrorist organization to be so… odd.

Mammals choked the hallway, hurriedly pushing gurneys to their destinations or talking amongst themselves. The intercom almost never ceased spitting out summons. Lights flickered in the stained ceiling. The smell of blood lingered on the air, an uncomfortable reminder that many mammals were fighting for their lives within these very walls. For many of them I'd done all I'd can. It was up to them now…

"Hey. Remember me?" The Black Hood called as he rolled forward in his wheelchair. A perpetual wince painted his face. Without any pain medications that leg of his must have hurt something fierce. Talon watched our exchange with a bemused air. "I never got to introduce myself. You can call me Martin; and would you mind keeping my identity a secret? Thanks a bunch." He asked politely, giving a wink. His earlier professionalism was all gone, replaced with a playful countenance. I smirked and gave a little laugh. At least he was amusing.

"I'm Mary, but you already knew that." I re-introduced myself, properly this time.

"Yes, well…" Talon coughed, drawing both of our attentions. "Mary." He said, turning to face me. "You'll be needing quarters of your own, and since Martin here has a spare room, we thought it would be best if you live with him." I rose a brow at Martin as he scowled when Talon mentioned his spare room. I nodded my head in agreement. As far as I was aware, there weren't any lodgings for aid workers in Happytown but what the locals provided themselves. I was looking forward to regrouping with any survivors from the caravan tomorrow. After I got a good night's sleep of course; it was only just after six in the afternoon and already I felt close to crashing.

"Martin? Martin!" A deep, bass voice shouted over the din. I looked up in the direction of the commotion and widened my eyes in shock at what I saw. The chief of police, Bogo (If I do recall correctly) was running down the hall, a panicked look on his face. Predators parted to either side of the hallway for the imposing cape buffalo. Some were showing open hostility at the large Prey mammal in their midst. I had only one question. Why was he shouting Martin's name?

Taking a peek at Martin, I saw he wore a slightly nervous sheepish expression.

"Martin." Bogo panted as he came before the three of us. Err, make that the two of us. In the hubbub, Talon had somehow slipped away. Worry came over Bogo as he knelt down and examined Martin's injured leg.

"No, don't!" Martin shouted as Bogo moved to touch it with huge hands. Martin relaxed when Bogo moved away from the painful injury. "Sorry dad, but it hurts like hell. No pain meds." Bogo's face darkened. I spluttered in shock.

"I'm taking you to a real hospital." Martin made a cry of outrage.

"What makes you think they'll even treat me?" He countered with a snarl.

"What makes you think I won't kick in their shins if they refuse?" Bogo defended himself with a grim smile.

"D-dad!?" Was all I could stutter out. "He's your father?" I asked Martin incredulously. The black fox only shrugged. I could understand intellectually that different species could bear children with a fifty-fifty chance of the child being either parent's kind, but for a cape buffalo to have a fox son in Zootopia, of all places!? Not to mention the size difference between the parents…

"Adopted son." Bogo clarified. I blinked. Oh. That made more sense. He narrowed his eyes at me. "So, who are you?"

"I'm Mary." I introduced myself. "An international aid worker and veterinarian. I'll be staying with your son." He rose an eyebrow at that, but disregarded me.

"How did you get hurt?" He asked his son. That sheepish look came back to Martin's face.

"I uh… well, um…" He stammered. "I got shot." Bogo's mouth thinned into a hardened line. I could hear him grinding his teeth.

"Happytown is too dangerous. Come back to Zootopia." Bogo commanded in a dangerously soft voice. Martin gave a little growl.

"No dad. I won't go back to being shocked for the littlest thing. I won't die when I'm forty because my heart couldn't take it." Bogo visibly deflated a bit when he remembered his son would be forced to wear a tame collar.

"You know we love you Martin. We're just worried sick. Your mother especially. She's scared you'll disappear to some blasted black site and we'll never see you again." Martin's eyes softened. A glimmer of guilt shone behind them. I felt awkward and out of place. My own heart panged when thinking about my family. Surely they had to have heard about the attack… did they think I was dead?

"I'll come visit you two soon, okay. I can't tell you not to worry, but… I'll be fine, okay? The Talons aren't so bad dad. They look after us." Bogo snorted at that. He sighed and rolled his eyes wearily.

"Okay. I'll let you stay, but know this." He wagged a finger at Martin. "If I hear you're in the hospital just one more time, I'm coming and carrying you out of this place, kicking and screaming." Martin gulped.

"Okay, dad."

Bogo's car was sized for mammals like him, so Martin and I had to go through the ultimate humiliation. Car safety seats. Buckled in like small children, I huffed. Martin seemed used to it, but still he couldn't keep a look of annoyance from flashing across his face. As Bogo drove down the roads, I kept my attention squarely on Martin. Every so often, his face scrunched up in pain. I winced in sympathy at the agony he must be going through. To get shot, have the bullet extracted and all without pain meds of any kind.

Bogo stopped in front of a dilapidated apartment building. At last. Hastily unbuckling myself, I jumped up to the car door and pulled on the latch. Pushing the door open, I dropped to the ground and felt something squish beneath my feet. Looking down, I groaned and inwardly cringed as I saw what I'd stepped in. The smell of rotting garbage assaulted my nostrils almost instantly.

"Gross." I whispered to myself as I scraped off a putrid trash bag stuck to my foot. Looking around, I noticed that garbage littered the streets. Turning up my nose, I looked back and saw Bogo helping Martin back into his wheelchair. Bunching up the muscles in my legs, I let them loose in a burst of energy and hopped onto the hood of the car. Running across the vehicle, I jumped down onto the cracked sidewalk just beside Martin. He whistled at my slight acrobatics. Bogo just sighed.

"You better not have dented my car…" Picking up the wheelchair in his hands, Bogo trotted up the steps and let himself inside. I followed suit, ready to take a well-deserved rest.

OOO OOO OOO

"Bye dad!" I waved as he rounded the corner, vanishing from view. I blew a breath in relief. Wow. That was awkward. Dad always was the overprotective type. Probably comes from having a son not even a quarter his size. At least he means well. Now, down to business. Rifling through my pockets, I found my keys and inserted them into the lock. I was rewarded with the satisfying sound of my tumblers clicking together.

Pushing the door to my quaint little home open, I rolled myself in and gestured for Mary to come inside.

"Home sweet home." I grinned despite my throbbing leg. Mary looked at the cracked, peeling wallpaper, at the green carpet with its innumerable permanent stains and sighed.

"It's better than being homeless." She despaired, walking past the orderly kitchen to plop herself down on my threadbare sofa.

"Whoa now." I chuckled as I rolled up to the sofa. All I could see of her were those big feet of hers' resting on the arms. "Let me show you to your room, then you can sleep all you want. But…" I wagged my finger at her. "I wager you want to take a shower first?" She sat right up at that. Her nose twitched excitedly at mention of that shower.

Wincing as a particularly painful lance of pain struck my wound, I sucked up the hurt and put on a smile.

"C'mon. Follow me." I waved for her to follow, but she was too busy being absorbed by something on my coffee table to listen. Intrigued, I rolled around the sofa and saw what held her attention so. A picture. Four smiling foxes. Mom, dad, baby Nikolai and of course, myself. "Oh." I breathed. Looking at them, how happy we were… It made my heart ache. "Rest in peace." I whispered, forming the cross over myself. I wasn't a particularly religious fox, but there had to be something better for them than this life. There had to be… If anyone deserved peace, it was them.

"Let's leave behind those painful memories for the moment, shall we?" I put on a fake smile and gave Mary a wink. She glared at me questioningly, but rolled her eyes and got up from the sofa all the same.

"Here's your room." I huffed as I rolled myself down the hallway and pointed to a door on the right. "Bathroom and shower is on the first door to the left." I told Mary, gesturing to the room in question. Opening the door to what was now her room, I let myself inside. It was rather plain; just a bed, a small end table and a dresser, but at least the walls were rather intact. No peeling like in the rest of the apartment. I noticed something strange. "What do we have here?" I asked aloud as I spotted a suitcase sitting on the bed. The floor creaked beneath my wheels as I rolled around inside.

Stepping inside, Mary gave me a smile that died when she noticed the suitcase resting on the bed.

"This yours?" Mary asked as she walked over to the bed. I shook my head. Wearing a confused look, she bent over and popped the lid. It was unlocked, and stuffed full of 'harey' toiletries and clothes. A note lay resting on the inside.

From: Talon

I groaned and clapped a paw to my forehead. Mary went ahead and checked out a few of the shirts. Her frown deepened.

"How did he know my size?" She inquired, her voice a little disturbed.

"He just does, somehow." I laughed, getting over the creepy factor of having him of all mammals breaking into my house. "Damn though. I desperately need to switch out my locks…" Mary chuckled. Her chuckles turned into a full on gut-busting laugh. Finding the sudden laughter (mildly disturbing) humorous, I joined in. After the stress of the day I'd had, it was a welcome change. Getting shot at wasn't fun. No sirree, it wasn't fun at all. In fact…

"I need a drink." I uttered, completely stone faced. Mary stopped laughing and looked at me like I'd had an earth-shattering revelation. "Make that two." She muttered, following me out into the kitchen. Tearing open the refrigerator door, I pulled out a bottle of mostly untouched vodka from behind boxes of takeout. "Glasses are on the last cupboard to the right." I told Mary as I set the bottle down on my table. She returned promptly with two shot glasses. I quickly filled them both and took mine. Mary took hers' and I rose my glass. She took the hint and we bumped our shots together, careful not to spill any of the precious alcohol.

"To lady luck." I cheered. "May she always stack the odds in my favor." Mary smiled at that.

"To making the world a better place, one Mammal at a time." Mary chittered. It was my turn to smile. Nodding at each other, we both downed our shots in one hit. I welcomed the burn while Mary spluttered and coughed. Snickering, I gave myself a refill.

"Want more?" I asked her in a teasing tone. After a moment's deliberation, Mary nodded. I broke out into laughter.